Mike Trout 'Going to Do Everything I Can' to Keep Shohei Ohtani from Leaving Angels

Mike Trout isn't about to allow Shohei Ohtani to leave the Los Angeles Angels without a fight.

"I'm going to do everything I can to keep Shohei here for sure," Trout told reporters Wednesday.

Ohtani is set to become a free agent after the 2023 season and could command a record-setting contract on the open market.

The two-way superstar has unrivaled potential as a free agent, with some agents projecting he will become the first player in MLB history to receive $500 million in guarantees. Trout holds the record for the largest contract in baseball history at $426.5 million.

Ohtani doubled as one of the most dominant starters and best power hitters in the American League last season. He went 15-9 with a 2.33 ERA and 1.01 WHIP while striking out 219 batters in 166 innings pitched and hit .273/.356/.519 with 34 home runs and 95 runs batted in at the plate.

If it weren't for Aaron Judge's historic 62-home run season, Ohtani would have walked away with his second straight AL MVP.

While Ohtani and Trout are two of the greatest individual players of this generation, team success has not followed. The Angels have not made the playoffs since 2014, and Ohtani admitted losing has been weighing on him.

"I have to say that August and September in particular felt longer to me than last year," Ohtani said in October, per Koji Ueda of the Associated Press. "We were not able to play as many good games as we would like—including 14 consecutive losses. So I have a rather negative impression of this season."

It's possible Ohtani looks for greener pastures if the Angels continue to struggle. That said, many had the same concerns about Trout before the franchise backed up the Brink's truck and made him the highest-paid player in league history.

It would not be a surprise if history repeats itself.