There has been a ton of speculation surrounding two-way Los Angeles Angels superstar Shohei Ohtani. ALl of it regarding his future with the team. His agent offered an extremely interesting hint on what his client’s potential future plans may be on Monday.
Ohtani is in the final year of his contract and certainly could be headed towards a potential record-setting payday in free agency should he opt not to re-sign with Los Angeles.
Nez Balelo, who is Ohtani’s agent was asked by reporters about his client’s contract situation. He offered a hint that many assumed would be the case, that the Japanese star will likely opt to weigh his options in free agency.
“I’ve always been open to it,” Balelo said about Ohtani’s chances of entering free agency via ESPN’s Aiden Gonzalez. “But there’s several layers to this one, and Shohei’s earned the right to play through the year, explore free agency, and we’ll see where it shakes out.”
A number of suitors have already emerged if Shohei Ohtani does ultimately hit free agency. The New York Mets and the Los Angeles Dodgers are likely names to watch next offseason regarding Ohtani.
This news is obviously concerning for Los Angeles Angels fans who are hoping that Ohtani sticks around. Despite the elite 1-2 punch of Ohtani and Mike Trout, the Angels have not made the postseason since Ohtani arrived in Los Angeles in 2018.
The Angels have remained adamant that they have no plans to trade Ohtani before he potentially hits free agency next offseason. However, they may simply be forced to do so unless they want to risk him leaving for no value in return.
[ESPN]
