Angels GM Perry Minasian breaks silence on Shohei Ohtani free agency

For much of the 2023 MLB season, the topic of Shohei Ohtani's impending free agency loomed large over the Los Angeles Angels organization's head. After all, Ohtani would certainly command the biggest deal in MLB free agency history given how impactful he is as a two-way player, and even amid his injury that would prevent him from suiting up on the mound for the foreseeable future, he's a good enough hitter to play a featured role in the heart of a team's batting order.

Thus, even Angels general manager Perry Minasian knows just how much attention Ohtani will be drawing in free agency, with the big-market teams, including, but not limited to, the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, and the reigning World Series champion Texas Rangers, all expected to throw their hats in the ring.

However, Minasian is confident in what the Angels can provide Shohei Ohtani, standing firm on his team's chances of retaining the most sought-after free agent in MLB history.

“I think this is a very desirable place to play. It's in a great part of the country. We have an outstanding fan base. The players that have played here since I've been here, have been really, really positive with their experiences. So, with anybody on the market, I think we have a chance,” Minasian said, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today.

At the very least, the Angels have shown that they're willing to open up the coffers to try and improve the team's core around centerfielder Mike Trout. In recent years, the Angels have opened up the coffers, signing Anthony Rendon after his impressive 2019 season, and during the early 2010s, they also signed Josh Hamilton and Albert Pujols to huge deals. Those may not have worked out for them, but there's precedent for their big-spending ways that it's not out of the realm of possibility that they sign Shohei Ohtani to a record-setting deal.

But the Angels can only control so many of the variables in Ohtani's free agency process; don't be too surprised if Ohtani ends up signing with the team that gives him the best chance of competing for a championship, especially when the offers are similar, financially speaking.