The Los Angeles Angels received a major confidence boost in their efforts to keep two-way star Shohei Ohtani with the organization. Talking with reporters on Sunday, Ohtani said that he would be “very open” to negotiating a new deal with the Angels as soon as this offseason.
“Of course, I’ll be very open to negotiation,” Ohtani said via ESPN. “The team is supporting me for this whole four years, and I’m really appreciative of that. Whether or not there’s any contract extensions I just want to, like I said earlier, be ready and be ready for next season.”
This comes after Ohtani previously said that his future with the franchise would depend on the Angels’ ability to win games. The 27-year-old superstar joined the team in 2018 and still hasn’t experienced a winning season in MLB.
Ohtani has one year left on his deal, which will pay him $5.5 in 2022. He’s set to have salary arbitration in 2023 and would then be a free agent after that.
The Angels are probably extremely motivated to lock down Shohei Ohtani after he enjoyed one of the best individual seasons in MBL history. As a designated hitter, Ohtani finished third in the league in home runs with 46 while adding 100 RBIs. As a pitcher, he posted a 9-2 record with a 3.18 ERA and 156 strikeouts.
