It didn’t take long for Mike Trout to be asked about Shohei Ohtani’s impending free agency.
As the Los Angeles Angels reported for spring training on Wednesday, the 10-time All-Star and three-time AL MVP was asked how he’ll go about trying to keep the two-way player in Anaheim.
Ohtani, who will be under 30 entering the 2024 season, is essentially two superstars in one — an elite starting pitcher and an elite hitter. He’s also likely to command a record-breaking contract, as he’ll be a free agent following the completion of the 2023 Major League Baseball season.
“I’m gonna do whatever I can to keep him here,” Trout said via ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez on Twitter.
Mike Trout, on Shohei Ohtani: “I’m gonna do whatever I can to keep him here.” pic.twitter.com/YiRqLcLNcb
— Alden González (@Alden_Gonzalez) February 15, 2023
Trout isn’t the only one inside the Angels organization that’s voiced their opinion and offered a clear message to Ohtani.
During the owners meetings, Angels owner Arte Moreno told Jon Heyman of the New York Post that he’d “like to keep Ohtani.”
“I’d like to keep Ohtani,” Moreno told The Post at the MLB owners meetings here. “He’s 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.”
“He fits in well with what we do,” Moreno said, while praising Ohtani’s desire to play every day. “We’re in the entertainment business. We want fans to be able to come to the ballpark and have a great experience.”
Moreno added, “I’d like to say we have as good a chance (to sign Ohtani) as [any organization].”
One of those organizations will very likely be the New York Mets, as owner Steve Cohen has made it known that he wants Ohtani, who is expected to command a contract in the $400 million to $500 million range. And if any owner can afford it, it’s Cohen.
The one thing the Mets don’t have? Trout. And that may very well be the Angels’ best selling point for Ohtani at this juncture in time.
[Alden Gonzalez, New York Post]
