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Former Angels GM reveals the real details of signing Shohei Ohtani
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- Former Angels GM reveals the real details of signing Shohei Ohtani
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New insight into one of baseball's most significant modern acquisitions surfaced this week as former general manager Billy Eppler revisited the Los Angeles Angels ' successful pursuit of Shohei Ohtani . Eppler reflected on the 2017 recruitment process that brought the two-way superstar to Anaheim and reshaped expectations across the sport.
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Speaking on MLB Network, Eppler explained how the Angels separated themselves in Ohtani's recruitment by stressing long-term planning rather than short-term results. The pitch focused on patience, careful workload management, and a top-to-bottom commitment to his unique two-way skill set—an approach that distinguished the organization from other suitors. At the time, the Angels believed their infrastructure, market size, and organizational flexibility uniquely positioned them to nurture Ohtani's development while insulating him from early pressure and unrealistic external expectations. Those remarks were later shared by the network's official X (formerly known as Twitter) account, offering a behind-the-scenes look at how the real process unfolded.
"Your tools are out of this world. You're going to be the man."
Beyond philosophy, relationships played a critical role in the recruitment. Eppler described a customized presentation built around pairing Ohtani with Mike Trout, framing the duo as a transformational force capable of redefining the franchise's ceiling.
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The segment also went on to further explore those dynamics, expanding on Trout's role and the overarching vision the Angels believed would resonate most with Ohtani.
"We played a video that we made for Shohei… drawing a parallel between Steph Curry and Kevin Durant—when two superstars align, look at what can happen," Eppler said. "Maybe it resonated or didn't, but having Mike on the phone was definitely helpful."
Ohtani ultimately signed with the Angels in December 2017, beginning a six-year chapter that redefined individual excellence despite limited team success. Now a perennial MVP and World Series champion with the Los Angeles Dodgers , the retrospective underscores how close the Angels came to fully capitalizing on a once-in-a-generation pairing that helped reshape modern baseball.
Related: Angels agree to contract with former White Sox star prospect
