The future of Shohei Ohtani with the Los Angeles Angels has been among the main storylines of the ongoing offseason in MLB.
Ohtani is set to hit free agency later this year for the first time in his career. He agreed to a one-year, $30 million deal with the Angels last October to avoid arbitration.
There has been much talk as of late regarding just how valuable Ohtani truly is. For one, some believe that the two-way star will become the first player in MLB history to sign off on a $500 million deal. Angels center fielder Mike Trout holds the record for the largest contract ever signed by total value, as he put pen to paper on a hefty $426.5 million deal in 2019.
If it were up to former outfielder Manny Ramirez, he would have no problem handing out a $500 million contract to Ohtani.
“I believe so, he is valued that,” Ramirez told z101digital’s Hector Gomez. “He is a phenomenon, and he has demonstrated that not only at the ballpark, but also away from the ballpark. … We see how professional he is.
“If I were to start a team, I would start it with Ohtani, the face of the team. … He is unique.”
At the least, the Angels will make an attempt to keep Ohtani with the team past the 2023 campaign. Angels general manager Perry Minasian noted last October that he hopes to extend the one-time American League MVP Award winner's stay in Anaheim “for a long time.”
“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.”
In the big picture, the AL West club is expected to have plenty of competition for Ohtani’s signature. For one, USA Today Sports’ Bob Nightengale recently noted that the San Diego Padres “plan to be all in” for the slugger.
For now, Ohtani sure is looking ahead to his upcoming sixth campaign with the Angels.
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