Trade rumors have surrounded Los Angeles Angels superstar starting pitcher and designated hitter Shohei Ohtani since last season, but the decision to keep him may be financially driven.
According to ESPN's Alden Gonzalez, it is believed that Ohtani's mere presence on the team generates "somewhere in the low tens of millions of dollars in additional revenue" for the Angels on an annual basis.
Gonzalez noted that the Angels held seven Ohtani-related promotions last season, and five of them were considered major in the form of three bobbleheads, a hat and a snow globe.
On those days, the Angels averaged more than 41,000 fans in attendance, while an average of less than 30,000 fans attended the other 76 home games.