Los Angeles Angels general manager Perry Minasian has reiterated his desire to see Shohei Ohtani stay put in Anaheim past the 2023 season.
Ohtani has been one of the most-talked-about players in the ongoing offseason. The two-time All-Star is slated to hit free agency after the 2023 campaign, as he signed off on a one-year, $30 million deal in October to avoid arbitration with the team.
Minasian took some time on Saturday to touch on Ohtani’s future with the Angels, where, although he did not provide an exact timetable on potential contract talks with the two-way star, he did note that he is hoping to see him remain with the team for a “long, long time.”
“Obviously, we love Shohei Ohtani,” Minasian said. “I believe that all of us, this whole organization, would like nothing more than to see him here for a long, long time. That being said, the same line I always use and you guys know and probably roll your eyes at, I don’t negotiate publicly.
“We love the player. We love what he’s about. He’s somebody that we can envision here for a long time.”
There has been much outside talk over whether Angels owner Arte Moreno, who changed course last month and opted to maintain ownership of the team, will push to sign Ohtani to the first blockbuster contract of his career. The one-time American League MVP Award winner is reportedly “poised” to become the first player in MLB history to put pen to paper on a $500 million deal.
Minasian did not rule out the possibility of Moreno going all out to extend the slugger's stay with the Angels.
“He's obviously invested in this club throughout his whole ownership,” Minasian said. “We've been top 10 in payroll for a long time. So I don't see that changing.
“Knowing the individual and knowing how much he wants to win, I don’t believe anything is out of the realm of possibility.”
Ohtani capped off the 2022 campaign with 34 home runs and 95 RBI recorded over 157 regular season games played. He finished in second place in the voting for the 2022 American League MVP Award.
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