A busy offseason awaits Los Angeles Angels general manager Perry Minasian in the coming months. The Angels missed out on clinching a spot in the postseason for the eighth straight year, as injury woes coupled with the lackluster production from the bottom half of their lineup marred their 2022 campaign.
Minasian is set to have plenty of tasks ahead, and he could end up engaging in extension talks with Shohei Ohtani. The reigning American League MVP Award winner is under contract with the Angels for a mere one more season, as he recently came to terms with the team on a one-year, $30 million deal for the 2023 campaign to avoid arbitration.
Ohtani’s long-term future with the Angels is up in the air, but as Minasian touched on during a press conference on Thursday, he hopes to keep the two-way star in Anaheim for years to come.
“I think it's step one,” Minasian said of Ohtani’s one-year deal for the 2023 season. “Hopefully there are more steps down the road.
“I'm never going to talk about negotiations but I've said it before and I'll say it again, I'd love to have him here for a long time.”
Minasian has shown his cards regarding Ohtani’s future with the Angels. For one, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported in June that the Angels had “informal discussions” with Ohtani’s agent, Nez Balelo of CAA, in spring training about a new contract deal for the two-way talent, but such discussions between the two sides “never gained traction.”
On the other hand, the Angels reportedly listened to offers for Ohtani ahead of this season’s MLB trade deadline. For one, San Diego Padres general manager A.J. Preller confirmed in August that he made a push to acquire the slugger, but such talks came to an end after it was made clear that the Angels were “going to move forward with Ohtani,” as he then turned his attention to bringing in Juan Soto from the Washington Nationals via a blockbuster trade.
In the big picture, Minasian sure is set to have a crucial offseason as he aims to build a playoff-contending team.
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