Shohei Ohtani Rumors: MLB GMs 'Not Convinced' Angels Won't Listen to Trade Offers

Rival MLB general managers reportedly "are not convinced" the Los Angeles Angels won't listen to trade offers for two-way sensation Shohei Ohtani this offseason.

Angels general manager Perry Minasian said definitively Monday that Ohtani "is not getting moved," but a source told ESPN's Jeff Passan on Thursday that Washington Nationals GM Mike Rizzo long held the same stance on outfielder Juan Soto before ultimately trading him to the San Diego Padres in August.

"It was the same thing with Rizz. He wasn't going to trade him until he did," an unnamed GM told Passan.

Ohtani signed a one-year, $30 million contract with the Angels in early October to avoid offseason arbitration. He'll become a free agent after the 2023 season without an extension.

It's raised obvious questions about whether L.A. would explore the trade market this winter because there's no way the club can allow him to hit the open market next year without getting a sizable return. So far, the front office has resisted the idea of a trade.

"Because he's obviously such a good player, we're not moving him. Ohtani is not getting moved," Minasian said. "He'll be here to start the season. I know there's been rumors and all types of things, but he will be part of the club. We love the player and I think the goal is for him to be here for a long time."

If no extension is in place before next season's trade deadline, the Angels will likely have no choice but to take the best offer available for Ohtani.

The 28-year-old Japanese superstar is coming off a 2022 campaign where he posted an .875 OPS with 34 home runs as a hitter and a 2.33 ERA with 219 strikeouts in 166 innings as a pitcher.

He ranked sixth in pitcher WAR (5.6) and 42nd in hitter WAR (3.8), giving him a total value just shy of 10 wins, per FanGraphs. Only one MLB player, New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge (11.4), surpassed the 10-win threshold in 2022.

So not only does Ohtani provide unique value as a two-way contributor, but he's also one of the most impactful players in baseball, which will make his potential foray into free agency one of the most interesting stories of the analytics era.

For now, it appears the Angels are holding out hope of an extension to keep the slugging ace as a long-term cornerstone alongside Mike Trout.

If those contract talks don't progress, however, that stance will have to change either later this offseason or during the first half of the 2023 campaign.