Shohei Ohtani: Arte Moreno wants Angels' star to stay with team
Los Angeles Angels’ owner Arte Moreno, who recently decided not to sell the team, made an extremely obvious Shohei Ohtani confession amid the superstar’s looming free agency next offseason, per the New York Post’s Jon Heyman.
“I’d like to keep Ohtani,” Moreno told The Post. “He’s a one of a kind, He’s a great person. He’s obviously one of the most popular baseball players in the world, and he’s an international star. He’s a great teammate. He works hard. He’s a funny guy, and he has a really good rapport with fans.”
The Angels need to make a final decision on Shohei Ohtani sooner rather than later. If they cannot extend him ahead of the 2023 season, they may ultimately have to trade him prior to the July deadline. Otherwise, they will risk the chance of receiving almost nothing for Ohtani if he leaves in free agency.
In order to re-sign Ohtani, the Halos are going to need to show him they can win. This is a ball club that has failed to make the postseason since 2014. Mike Trout has only seen one total playoff series during his Hall of Fame career. Meanwhile, Shohei Ohtani has yet to experience the postseason.
Ohtani’s odds of remaining in Anaheim will dwindle if the Angels struggle once again in 2023. This year will prove to be one of the most important campaigns in Angels’ history, and could end up determining the future of the franchise for years to come.
Arte Moreno and the Angels would love to keep Shohei Ohtani. But their 2023 performance will go a long way in determining what happens with the two-way phenom.
