The Los Angeles Angels face an important offseason, as they will have to convince two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani to stay with the team. Ohtani is scheduled to become a free agent and has expressed a desire to play for a winning team. The thing is, the Angels have not done that with Ohtani and fellow generational talent Mike Trout on the roster, even after trying and failing at the trade deadline this season.
So, can the Angels retain Ohtani?
While speaking with reporters on Tuesday, Angels general manager Perry Minasian was asked about his confidence level to re-sign Ohtani. Minasian said that he spoke with Ohtani on the penultimate day of the regular season and said he believes "this is a place that he's enjoyed playing," but noted that Ohtani is "disappointed" with the fact the team hasn't won. However, Miansian stresses that he'll have to see what happens during the offseason.
"Watching him play day in and day out has been a privilege," Minasian said, h/t ESPN. "I believe this is a place that he's enjoyed playing, and this is a place that he loves, and he's got a group of teammates that he enjoyed his time with. And sure, is he disappointed we didn't win? Absolutely. Everybody is. There were high expectations. ... But you get the feeling that this is a place that he really, really appreciates, really respects, and we'll just have to see what happens over the course of the offseason."
Angels GM holding out hope team can re-sign Shohei Ohtani
The Angels last made the postseason in 2014, where they had the best record in the American League, but were swept by the Kansas City Royals. That was before Ohtani signed with the Angels. Since joining, the team has yet to have a winning season.
This year, the Angels were in the thick of the playoff hunt in the first half of the season. So, the team decided to sell the farm to bring in the likes of Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez, Randal Grichuk, C.J. Cron, and Dominic Leone. It showed Ohtani that they were willing to help him win. The thing is, the moves backfired, as they lost six games in a row after the trade deadline. Sure enough, the team waived Giolito, Lopez, Grichuk, and Leone less than a month later.
Near the end of this season, Ohtani suffered a torn UCL, which ruled out pitching. But a nagging oblique injury forced him to shut himself down for the remainder of the season. Ohtani needs surgery and likely won't pitch in 2024, but he can still hit. Despite not being able to throw off a mound next season, he is still expected to command a lucrative contract.
It will be an interesting offseason to say the least. Ohtani has the chance to cash in on potentially the largest contract in MLB history. With so many teams interested, the Angels may face long odds of retaining him long-term.
