1. What is ahead for Shohei Ohtani?

Be prepared; the choice to have surgery can come sooner than you think.

Although Ohtani has not yet made his plans known in public, many who are familiar with his thought process believe that he may decide to stop playing within the next 10 days in order to have Tommy John surgery to repair his torn UCL.

It would make sense to play through that and then declare he’s done for the year because the Angels start a seven-game homestand on Tuesday. By having Tommy John surgery, he will be unable to pitch in 2024 but will be in good enough health to serve as a designated hitter.

2. What venues will host Ohtani in 2024?

Ohtani intends to enter the free-agent market in November but hasn’t given up hope of staying with the Angels. His ruptured UCL has undoubtedly dampened expectations, but he still wants the biggest contract in baseball history, surpassing the $430 million his teammate Mike Trout received (even if it was $360 million in new money).

Simply put, organizations now see Ohtani as an elite power hitter, and it would be a bonus if he could throw again in 2025. If he decides to pitch again, the new deal will undoubtedly include incentives and bonuses, as well as an opt-out clause.

The Angels like their chances if the contract bids stay below $500 million.

The Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants, San Diego Padres, and possibly the Seattle Mariners are the teams most likely to pounce if the asking price exceeds $500 million.

Ohtani was happy that the Angels chose to keep him at the trade deadline and made the necessary moves, but he couldn’t help but question why they would then hold a garage sale.

The Dodgers remain the betting favorite because they are as interested in the brand as the player is, and Ohtani will just watch and listen to the pitches.

It doesn’t matter how much money is being offered; what matters is which team has the best chance of winning the World Series and remaining a consistent competitor.

Given that they are about to win their 10th NL West championship in 11 years, the Dodgers have a strong case for convincing him to go across town.

3. Do the Angels now regret keeping Ohtani in their lineup?

Actually not at all. Ohtani would have left the company if owner Arte Moreno thought they had no chance of maintaining him or if Ohtani had indicated he had no desire to come back. No team would send the Yankees more than two of its top-10 prospects in exchange for a two-month rental since they knew they wouldn’t be getting Aaron Judge in a deal.

“At the time we made the judgments we made,” Angels GM Perry Minasian told reporters on Friday, “we felt that they were the appropriate decisions. And sometimes you take actions that are successful. You sometimes take actions that don’t work.

Baseball is playing. Things take place.