Shohei Ohtani: Lucas Giolito talks about the bond between him and Angels phenom, says they usually talk about 'anime and manga'

Los Angeles Angels pitcher Lucas Giolito shares a cool bond with Angels phenom Shohei Ohtani. The team strengthened their roster by acquiring right-hander Lucas Giolito and right-handed reliever Reynaldo Lopez from the Chicago White Sox for two top prospects.

Giolito opened up about the bond between him and Japanese phenom Ohtani.

"We mostly talk about anime and manga. I saw him reading manga on the plane and was talking to him about that."

Shohei Ohtani doesn't always speak the most or reveal a lot about his private life. He has, however, always been thrilled to chat about anime. Anime has become increasingly popular over the years, so don't be shocked if your favourite professional athlete decides to watch some when he or she unwinds after a hard day.

Lucas Giolito had built lasting memories of Angel Stadium before he made his first major league pitch there with the Chicago White Sox five years ago.

Giolito, who is expected to play against the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday in his home debut, attended a World Series game between the Angels and the Giants when he was eight years old and was growing up in Santa Monica.

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Giolito hosted a presentation for baseball scouts at Angel Stadium when he was a senior at Harvard-Westlake High School. He was selected by the Washington Nationals as the 16th overall pick in the 2012 draft.

As he approaches his next start, the 29-year-old right-hander will attempt to set aside these pleasant recollections and good sensations.

Lucas Giolito talked about his excitement to get to play with Shohei Ohtani

Giolito is obviously thrilled to play with his new teammates and try for something special this year:

“Being able to be his teammate -- between him (Shohei Ohtani) and Mike Trout, two of the best guys in the league -- I’m very, very excited. It’s going to be a very, very fun kind of journey the next few months here.” via mlb.com

To gather support for the last stretch, the Angels gave it their best. They handed up two of their top prospects that they might have utilized to develop for the future in exchange for Giolito, who will assist with pitching depth, and they removed Shohei Ohtani off the market.