Shohei Ohtani's Agent Won't Discuss Angels Contract Talks, Says Star Is Happy in LA

The agent for Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani declined to specify whether the MVP finalist has discussed a new contract with the team.

Nez Balelo did, however, tell reporters his client is "extremely happy" in Anaheim. He went on to praise the vision of Angels general manager Perry Minasian.

"I was with Perry yesterday, and I know one of the things that he's really set out to do is to put together a competitive team," Balelo said. "He is all about it. And I think that's wonderful. ... They're really close to being a really dynamic team."

Ohtani has one more year of arbitration before hitting free agency in 2024. Based on his performance in 2021, he might become one of the highest-paid players in MLB.

The 27-year-old had 46 home runs, 100 RBI and a .592 slugging percentage while posting a 3.18 ERA and striking out 156 strikeouts over 130.1 innings. His two-way dominance is something fans haven't seen for generations.

When it comes to Ohtani's extension, money shouldn't be an issue for the Angels.

Per Cot's Baseball Contracts, the franchise has had a top-10 payroll on Opening Day for each of the last 18 seasons. Los Angeles also handed Mike Trout a record-setting 12-year, $426.5 million extension.

The bigger question is whether Ohtani wants to commit his future to a team with one playoff appearance since 2009. The Angels are a prime example that spending money isn't a path to success without a plan in place.

Perhaps Minasian will build a contender by the time Ohtani is due to hit the open market, thus removing one incentive for him to leave.

For the time being, nobody should blame the Japanese slugger if he's having some reservations about re-signing.