Joe Maddon Downplays Shohei Ohtani's Comments About Frustrations with Angels
Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani turned heads when he said winning will be a big deciding factor in where he plays if and when he becomes a free agent after the 2023 campaign, but manager Joe Maddon suggested that doesn't mean he necessarily wants to leave.
The Associated Press (h/t ESPN) shared Maddon's comments:
"We all feel the same way, we all want to win. If anybody misconstrues that as though he wants to leave, that's trying to connect some dots that weren't necessarily what he, not at all what he said."
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"He also mentioned how much he loves it here. The inner sanctum of the clubhouse, the guys, the coaching staff, everything about it. The area. The fans. He loves them all. We all want to get to the next level, and we see it as an absolute possibility it's going to happen here in the very near future."
Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com noted Ohtani said he and the Angels have not yet discussed a contract extension to this point.
"I really like the team, I love the fans and the atmosphere as a team," he said. "But more than that, I want to win. That's the biggest thing for me. I'll leave it at that."
Los Angeles has not done a lot of winning of late. Its last playoff series was in 2014, and its last playoff victory was in 2009 when it reached the American League Championship Series. That hasn't changed even with two of the brightest stars in the league in Ohtani and Mike Trout anchoring the organization the last four years.
This year's Angels are 74-82 and in fourth place in the American League West.
The struggles are notable because Ohtani could be on his way to the AL MVP as both a star hitter and star pitcher. He is slashing .258/.371/.595 with 45 home runs, 98 RBI and 24 stolen bases while posting a 3.18 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 156 strikeouts in 130.1 innings pitched.
The 27-year-old will be well-positioned to land a massive contract if he does hit free agency after the 2023 campaign and could look to join a winner if things don't turn around for the Angels.
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