When Randal Grichuk was traded to the Angels last year, arriving as one of several veteran additions the club made during its all-in trade deadline buying spree, he quickly recognized his new club’s main objective. Sure, the Angels were trying to make the playoffs, hopeful of erasing a three-game deficit in the wild card standings for their first postseason berth since 2014. But really, the moves were all about Shohei Ohtani — serving as one last attempt to show the Japanese star and pending free agent that Anaheim was a place where he could compete for championships. “I think they were trying to prove to him that they’re willing to do what it takes to be a successful organization and reach the postseason,” Grichuk, now an outfielder with the Arizona Diamondbacks, recalled this week. Grichuk’s next recollection came with a sigh. “Obviously,” he said, “it just didn’t work out.” Indeed, much has changed in the calendar year since. The Angels flamed out of playoff contention in spectacular fashion last fall, losing seven straight games at the start of August to quickly dash their deadline plans. A few weeks after that, the nadir got deeper, when Ohtani was lost for the season to elbow and oblique injuries. His last game with the team was Sept. 3, 2023. On the first anniversary of that date, Ohtani will be back in Anaheim on Tuesday night. In what will be his first regular-season appearance at Angel Stadium as a member of a visiting club, Ohtani and the Dodgers begin a two-game Freeway Series amid the kind of postseason surge he never experienced in Anaheim. The Dodgers have a healthy division lead after taking three of four games from the Arizona Diamondbacks. Ohtani has been chasing MLB history in the process, with his 44 home runs and 46 stolen bases leaving the league’s first 50-50 season within reach. “Up to this point, I’ve never been in such a good position in September,” Ohtani said Monday in Japanese. “It’s special, and in the midst of that, playing against a divisional rival we’re battling in the standings is also an experience I hadn’t had until now. I think there are a lot of games with a heightened sense of urgency.” This is the dynamic that always made Ohtani likely to leave the Angels as a free agent. At various points of his Angels career, he emphasized his desire to win and compete for championships. But at almost every juncture of his time in Anaheim, the club’s top-heavy roster, perennial injury problems and questionable spending decisions prevented that from happening. “Me personally, I had seasons that were good but also seasons in which I was injured and couldn’t play or couldn’t pitch,” Ohtani said when asked about the Angels’ struggles during his time there, shouldering responsibility for organization-wide problems. “If I had been able to contribute to the maximum, I think there are parts that would have been different.” Despite all that, however, there was much speculation around the industry during Ohtani’s free agency that he desired — if not preferred — to re-sign with a floundering Angels team. It was the MLB team he originally picked when he first came from Japan. The place where he flourished as the league’s first two-way player in generations, unanimously winning the MVP award in 2021 and 2023. Yet, come Tuesday night, Ohtani will be on the visiting side of Angel Stadium — thanks to a decision that still rankles much of his old fan base. As The Times first reported back in December, The Angels didn’t match the $700 million offer Ohtani and his agent, Nez Balelo of CAA Sports, presented to interested teams at the end of his free-agent sweepstakes. And it remains unclear what would have happened if they did. Ohtani deflected such speculation on the eve of his return Monday night. When asked if he was surprised the Angels declined his camp’s $700 million proposal — the only of Ohtani’s finalists to do so — he answered: “Regarding that, nothing in particular. I think other teams, including the Dodgers, evaluated me highly. Rather than think about what the Angels did or didn’t do, I’m grateful for the teams that evaluated me highly.” When asked if he might have re-signed with the Angels if they had, Ohtani said: “In reality, I wasn’t made an offer, so I can’t say. In reality, I’m doing my best with this team, and I’m doing my best with the goal of winning the World Series. I think I’m fine with that.” They were predictably opaque answers from the media-shy Ohtani (who has stopped holding any pregame media interviews since the middle of this season). But they will do little to quell the questions many Angel fans, and former teammates, will be asking themselves when they watch Ohtani take the field in Dodger blue Tuesday night. “That’s the word,” Angels pitcher Tyler Anderson told the New York Post at this year’s All-Star Game, when asked if he thought Ohtani would have re-signed in Anaheim had the $700 million offer been made — a popular point of industry speculation in the wake of Ohtani’s free agency decision last December. “He obviously did so well [in Anaheim], and I feel like if he obviously wants to have a Hall of Fame career, if you stay with one team, that’s the way to do it. He was clearly comfortable there to put up the numbers he had and everything he did. I’m sure there’s something to that.” In hindsight, it made the Angels’ decision to go all-in at last year’s trade deadline puzzling. Rather than gear up for the predictable rebuild they’ve slipped into this year, they tried to convince Ohtani to stay — only for owner Arte Moreno to drop out of the bidding at the final stage of the superstar’s free agency. “When I was there, he was the whole organization,” Grichuk said. “Obviously, [Mike] Trout was hurt. So he was like, the guy. He’s a huge part of the team when it comes to a marketing standpoint, on-field play standpoint. He’s definitely once in a lifetime.” Because of that, Ohtani is still expected to receive a warm ovation Tuesday night (Moreno remains the subject of Angel fans’ ire these days). As Dodgers manager Dave Roberts noted, “them not winning there had nothing to do with [Ohtani’s] performance.” And as for Ohtani’s free agency? “I don’t think they were in the conversation,” Roberts added. “So that’s not a slight on Shohei, right?” Dodgers third base coach Dino Ebel — the only Dodgers staffer who overlapped with Ohtani in Anaheim as the Angels third base coach in his rookie 2018 season — offered a similar assessment. “He was the face [of the franchise], with Mike Trout,” Ebel said. “I hope [the ovation] is good. I really believe the fans, they love Shohei. And looking back, when he comes up there to lead that game off, I think it’s going to be fun. I expect a standing ovation.” Maybe if the Angels didn’t collapse this time last year, things would be different. The slightest taste of postseason contention, many around the sport have speculated, perhaps would have been enough to sway Ohtani to stay. “We were playing really well … It was like, ‘OK, dang, this is a team,’” Grichuk recalled. “And then we forgot to pitch, forgot to hit. It fell apart.” Then again, maybe it never would have mattered. Even if Ohtani wanted to stay, Moreno and the Angels — by declining what was seen as an exceedingly team-friendly contract structure in which $680 million of his salary was deferred — never gave him the chance. “It’s special to me, and it’s special to play in front of the fans,” Ohtani said of his upcoming return. “I’d like to do my best.” Only now, his best is benefiting the Southland’s other baseball team. Twelve months since his last Angels appearance, Ohtani is firmly entrenched as a member of the Dodgers, with Moreno at least partially to thank. Like a graduate revisiting his old high school, Shohei Ohtani is going back to Anaheim this week, having moved on to bigger things. “For me it’s a special place,” Ohtani said through his interpreter after Monday’s game. “Obviously, I spent pretty much the most time there compared to other stadiums, and being able to spend the time playing in front of (Angels) fans. “I spent a lot of time at Angel Stadium and obviously this year we already played against the team, so I’m just really looking forward to being able to spend some time at a ballpark that I spent most of my career at.” Ohtani faced his old team during spring training in Tempe this year then again during the preseason Freeway Series in Los Angeles and Anaheim. Ohtani was treated to a warm reception from Angels fans and a video tribute on the scoreboard before his first at-bat in Anaheim. “I think he was really excited when we first played there in spring training,” said first baseman Freddie Freeman, who knows something about the emotions of facing your former team. “So we’ll see how it goes tomorrow. I’m sure they’ll do a little video tribute again, because he’s one of a kind.” When he faced the Angels for the first time in regular-season play during a two-game series at Dodger Stadium in June, he went 3 for 6 with two home runs as the teams split the series. All of that should mitigate any emotions he might feel going back for two games this week. “I don’t know. I was thinking about giving him an off day tomorrow. Would that go over okay?” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts joked Monday. “I’m sure it’s going to be somewhat emotional. But emotions are relative to the person. I’m sure he’s going to be just fine going back there and helping us win a ballgame. There hasn’t been anything that he’s had to deal with that he hasn’t passed with flying colors.” Ohtani’s trip 35 miles or so up the freeway to Dodger Stadium has certainly changed his world in many ways – not the least of which is playing for a contender for the first time. He never came close to making the playoffs in six seasons with the Angels. Now he heads back to Anaheim with a Dodgers team boasting the best record in baseball while the Angels have one of the worst. “Personally, it’s my first time being able to experience being at this spot in the standings and being able to play against other division rivals who are trying to take the spot as well,” Ohtani said. “So personally yes, it’s very exciting.” The Angels’ lack of success during Ohtani’s six seasons there “had nothing to do with his performance,” Roberts said. But the two-time American League MVP still took some of the responsibility. “There were seasons where we played well as a team, but there were also seasons where I really didn’t play at all,” he said, referring to the injuries that took him out of the lineup. “If I did, in those situations maybe the results would’ve been different.” His flight to Los Angeles via free agency seemed an inevitability at times before it became a reality last winter. Ohtani would not answer a hypothetical question about whether he might still be an Angel if they had matched the $700 million contract he eventually signed with the Dodgers – an opportunity he and his agent are believed to have extended to them. “I’m just thankful and grateful for the teams that ended up offering a contract. That’s the reflection of what they think about me,” Ohtani said. “It’s hard to tell (what might have happened). Obviously the offer didn’t come to fruition. It’s really a situation where it’s more of ‘if they did,’ so I can’t really speak on that.” Boos rained down as Shohei Ohtani appeared on the Angel Stadium video board. In this awful season, the first since Ohtani moved on from his former club, the ballpark is rarely full. The fanbase has tired of elevated hopes turning into debilitating disappointment. Swaths of empty seats are a nightly occurrence. But that night, opening night, was an exception. The ballpark was filled, sold out, and lively. Before the game started, the Angels renewed their tradition — Calling All Angels by Train played alongside a montage of the team’s history. When shots of Ohtani, an undeniably massive part of that history, appeared, a cascade of anger spilled out of those present. The Angel-turned-Dodger was given the traitor’s treatment. Ohtani will return to Angel Stadium on Tuesday night for his first regular season game at the ballpark he called home for six years. And when he does, the Dodgers’ $700 million man should receive a raucous ovation from the fans that once adored him. Wearing their uniform, Ohtani did things unheard of on a modern baseball field, and in a relatively short time, cemented himself as an all-time Angels great. He was a two-time MVP, two-time Silver Slugger, Rookie of the Year and finished fourth in Cy Young voting. In his final three seasons, he crushed 124 homers, drove in 290 runs and posted an .964 OPS. In that same span, he recorded a 2.84 ERA over 428 1/3 innings on the mound. His WHIP at just 1.051. His numbers were outrageous, and his presence made every night — and certainly every start — feel more like an event, elevating an otherwise moribund franchise. He should get a hero’s welcome. “I’m sure they’ll embrace him, he was a big part of this team for a long time,” said Angels catcher Matt Thaiss, who was Ohtani’s teammate for five years. “I think a lot of the fans are grateful to watch him play for a that many years. See him break records, win MVPs.” “I think the fanbase will be excited to have him back,” said Angels manager Ron Washington. “He’s one of the best players in baseball. For his baseball acumen, I’m more than certain that the fans miss it. And they’re gonna love to see it again.” Even Dodgers manager Dave Roberts agreed. “Them not winning there had nothing to do with his performance,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. “… I think the fans will receive him really well with gratitude and appreciation.” Ohtani did receive a warm ovation from a mix of both fanbases when he returned for an exhibition game in March. But the sentiment toward Ohtani remains mixed, at best. Fans do have every justifiable reason to be mad that Ohtani is not on their team anymore. They can be steamed that he’s playing for their big brother rivals. Those emotions, however, should not be directed at the player himself. It was Angels owner Arte Moreno who decided against actively pursuing Ohtani in free agency. His agent, Nez Balelo, said that the Angels had “every opportunity” to make a competitive offer and that “the Angels are special to Shohei.” In April, Ohtani was asked in Japanese about getting more important and pressure-filled at-bats with the Dodgers than the Angels. He called out the question. “I love the Angels and I love the fans,” he responded. “I think that would be disrespectful to the Angels.” Ohtani said he can’t know if he would have accepted a theoretical Angels’ offer. “It’s hard to tell, obviously the offer did not come to fruition,” he said on Monday. “It’s really a situation where it’s more of an ‘if they did,’ So I can’t really speak on that.” Still, it is clear he respects his former employer. And it’s completely unfair to blame him for leaving, given that there was no viable financial or competitive reason to return. The fanbase should applaud Ohtani for even contemplating a new contract in Anaheim. For years, Moreno and his front office surrounded the world’s greatest player with a roster that could not back him up. The Angels went 223-263 from 2021-23. They never finished with more than 77 wins in a season. They never once played a meaningful September game. The Angels provided him with a comfortable environment. But not a winning one. His homers in Angels losses became a joke within the sport. Instead of indulging in the humor, complaining about the on-field product or just bolting at the first chance he could, he’s remained classy and thankful to his first big league team. “For me, it’s a special place,” Ohtani said, noting he still keeps tabs on the Angels. “I spent the most time compared to other stadiums — being able to spend the time playing in front of the fans.” The Angels are 25 1/2 games worse than their Los Angeles counterparts. The Dodgers have the best record in baseball. The Angels are the worst in the AL West. The Dodgers are paying him $700 million over 10 years, and agreed to his salary deferral plan. The Angels wouldn’t countenance any of that. Hearing that begs a pretty obvious question. What exactly was he supposed to do? The Dodgers were willing to spend. The Angels were not. “The vitriol for Ohtani amongst Halos fans is that he’s playing for the crosstown rivals,” said Chuck Richter, a lifelong Angels fan who runs an online Angels message board and hosts an Angels podcast. “There is real hate for the Dodgers by most lifetime Angels fans. “If he would have went to Toronto, I would be an Ohtani fan still,” Richter added. “Not maybe the same level when he was with the Angels, but I would hope he would win a World Series with the Blue Jays.” Sports fandom isn’t always nuanced and rational. The die-hards don’t like when you leave their team for their rival. It truly can be that simple, even if it shouldn’t be. The Dodgers would have been a strong team even without Ohtani. The Angels wouldn’t be a playoff team if Ohtani had agreed to stay. Still, his return highlights a stark contrast between these two SoCal ball clubs. And heightens the emotions that the Angels fanbase might feel as he steps into the batters box. As of Monday, the Angels said they had no plans to honor Ohtani before Tuesday’s game. A spokesman noted it’s possible that could change. If they were to follow through on that plan, and actually do nothing, it would be a mistake. A bad one. The team delivered a classy pre-game gesture before his pre-season exhibition game in March. They played a video and congratulated him on his MVP. The fans in the lightly filled stadium applauded, Ohtani waved. It was nice, but it was also spring training. Like most starters, he was probably back home before the game ended. For a player who meant so much to a team and its history, Ohtani deserves more than that. While the Angels did take down his stadium mural just hours after he signed with the Dodgers, they also still recognize him as part of their history, featuring him in that Calling All Angels video, and with signage/memorabilia around the ballpark. Tuesday, however, represents a chance to honor that history, with him in the flesh. It shouldn’t matter what uniform he’s wearing. There will be a lot of Dodgers fans in attendance. Maybe even more than half the crowd. But no matter how the Angels organization chooses to honor, or not honor, their ex-superstar, the Angels fans — however many show up — should be on their feet when No. 17 walks to the plate. He poured everything he could into this place. The reason he’s no longer there has everything to do with organizational frugality and incompetence. Hopefully, the moment is a positive one for all involved, and then the competitive juices can flow. That’s baseball. That’s sports. Do everything you can to beat your opponent. “Hopefully when we do play him, we’re able to shut him down,” Washington said. “That’s what I want to do. Shut Ohtani down.” But whether they shut him down, or he hits a home run, that respect and appreciation for Ohtani should never waver. He’s earned that much.