Shohei Ohtani Discusses If He's Open to Returning to Angels in FA amid Trade Rumors

While most of the trade rumors involving Shohei Ohtani have revolved around the Los Angeles Angels' ability to potentially re-sign him if they don't make a move, no one has really asked the three-time All-Star about what he want to do after this season.

Speaking to reporters after Friday's win over the Pittsburgh Pirates, Ohtani gave a very political answer in response to a question about what he's communicated to the Angels about staying with the club beyond the 2023 season.

"I've never really had a sit-down talk like that," he said through his interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara. "We're in midseason, obviously, and I'm just trying to focus on the season and sort of block everything else out. Like I said earlier, I feel like we're in a decent spot to make a playoff run, and that's all I'm really focused on at the moment."

Ohtani also said he's "never really had any conversations" with Angels owner Arte Moreno, general manager Perry Minasian or anyone else in the front office who might have given him any assurances he wouldn't be traded prior to the Aug. 1 deadline.

Moreno looms over any discussion of an Ohtani trade because he will ultimately have the final say.

Per ESPN's Buster Olney, Moreno "reacted angrily" last year when the front office presented him with the idea of trading Ohtani when there was "robust" interest around the league because an acquiring team would have had him for two potential playoff runs.

It's unclear at this point what Moreno's reaction would be this time around to potential trade offers for Ohtani, but he's been adamant it won't happen.

"I just don't know how you replace a guy like that," Moreno told Jon Heyman of the New York Post on June 15. "We want to win, and it's nice to have him in the lineup. For me, it's about the fans."

Another potential problem is finding a team for Ohtani that Moreno would approve a deal to. The Los Angeles Dodgers and Texas Rangers have been discussed as interested suitors, but a former Angels employee told Olney there is "no way" Moreno sends him to the Dodgers.

Other former team employees told Olney a deal between the Angels and another American League West team, like the Rangers, is a long shot.

While there will continue to be a lot of talk about an Ohtani trade either until he gets moved or the deadline passes, the Angels might be playing too well right now to allow themselves to seriously entertain any offers for him.

Friday's victory over the Pirates was the Angels' fourth straight and moved them to 50-48 overall. They are four games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for the final wild card spot in the AL.

The Angels have the potential to make things interesting in the wild-card race before the trade deadline. They have two more games against the Pirates before going to Detroit for a three-game series with the Tigers.

After that, the Angels will travel to Toronto for a three-game set against the Blue Jays that wraps up on July 30.

It's risky to bet your entire season on any eight-game stretch, but Moreno isn't an owner who tends to act rationally when it involves a superstar player. He likes to bet big on marquee names, even after something like the Anthony Rendon contract almost immediately turned into a disaster.

Even as a pending free agent after this season, Ohtani would almost certainly bring back a significant return if the Angels were to deal him. The 29-year-old is hitting .305/.400/.676 with an MLB-best 35 homers in 364 at-bats. He also has a 3.71 ERA and 148 strikeouts in 111.2 innings as a starting pitcher.