Shohei Ohtani's unfortunate injury adds to the avalanche of tragedies that have beset the Los Angeles Angels' 2023 season. Ohtani, the runaway candidate to win AL MVP, tore his UCL, preventing him from performing his pitching duties for the foreseeable future. Nevertheless, there's a glass half-full approach to the Angels star's major injury.

Some pundits and executives believe that in the aftermath of Ohtani's injury, the Angels may find it easier to keep him in free agency amid interest from other big spenders such as the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, and San Diego Padres. It's a fair belief, as during the 2024 season, Ohtani will only be suiting up as a hitter. He's elite at the plate, make no mistake about it, but a good chunk of his value comes from his top-tier pitching.

However, there is still no clarity regarding Shohei Ohtani's contract situation, basing off of the comments his agent, Nez Balelo, made in front of reporters. Balelo refused to elaborate on his and his client's plans when it comes to the Angels star's free agency.

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“I’m not going to get into [the specifics of whether Ohtani would sign a short-term contract or pursue a long-term deal]. I appreciate the question, but I’m not going to get into it right now. That’s the furthest thing from my mind. Let’s just deal with the immediate right now,” Balelo said, per Sam Blum of The Athletic.

Free agency isn't too far away for Shohei Ohtani and his camp, so they are definitely pondering about which financial path to take behind the scenes. Alas, it just isn't the best idea for them to reveal their hand early, lest the Angels star give up his leverage in contract talks both with his current team and other prospective suitors.

At the moment, given the uncertainty brought forth by Ohtani's UCL injury, it'll be interesting to see whether the Japanese international takes the huge money that's sure to be offered him this offseason or whether he decides to bet on himself and pursue a bigger deal should he recover from his torn UCL with ease.