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Angels are 'eyeing' the most obvious Shohei Ohtani replacement per MLB Insider

Can't say it doesn't make sense.

Oct 9, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter J.D. Martinez (28)
Oct 9, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter J.D. Martinez (28) | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

With Shohei Ohtani gone, the Los Angeles Angels lost a whole lot of offense. Ohtani put up one of the best seasons in Angels franchise history, and the team has done absolutely nothing to replace that production.

While the Angels won't be able to randomly pick out an MVP from the free agency pool, they can still find high-quality players to take Ohtani's spot in the lineup. One that has made a ton of sense is J.D. Martinez, and the Angels are reportedly showing a level of interest in him.

LA Angels reportedly considering DH swap with the Dodgers by eyeing J.D. Martinez

Jon Heyman of the NY Post reports that the Angels and Mets are 'eyeing' Martinez and that the Diamondbacks are searching for a hitter too. How serious these teams who are 'eyeing' Martinez are is unknown, but the fact that only a couple of teams are mentioned could mean the Angels have a decent shot here.

While Cody Bellinger is certainly the most high-profile position player free agent with Ohtani off the board, Martinez might be the best pure hitter available. His value goes down exponentially with the fact that he's strictly a DH and is also 36 years old, but the man can flat-out hit. He had an .893 OPS this past season, socking 33 home runs and driving in 103 runs for the Dodgers in just 113 games played. He would've easily been the second-best hitter on the Angels behind just Ohtani with those numbers.

Martinez being just a DH is less than encouraging for an Angels team that would benefit from giving DH at-bats to players like Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon, but with the team needing an offensive punch that might be something they overlook.

Martinez is the simplest Ohtani replacement out there. He probably isn't the best overall fit on this Angels team as they'd really benefit from adding a player who can play the field and could also use a big bopper from the left side, but Martinez would be a huge help, obviously, and the Angels won't have to worry about the Dodgers signing him.

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