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The Los Angeles Angels have received calls from teams wanting to explore a blockbuster trade to acquire reigning AL MVP Shohei Ohtani, but the team has said they have no interest in a deal, according to Jon Morosi of MLB Network.
Ohtani, 28, is in line to soon receive what could be a record-breaking contract with his current deal nearing its end. He’s under contract with the Angels for the remainder of the 2022 season and is eligible for arbitration in 2023. Ohtani reportedly wants “a very long deal” and could command as much as $50 million per year.
With that lofty price tag on the horizon, Ohtani’s future with the Angels is in doubt. The team already has an oversized payroll with Mike Trout signed to a 12-year, $426.5 million contract and Anthony Rendon on a seven-year, $245 million deal. Despite dishing out that money, the Angels have won just 12 of their last 49 games and are 22.5 games out of first place in the AL West.
The team is seemingly in need of significant work before it’ll be able to contend, and not much help is on the way with Los Angeles currently owning one of the lowest ranked farm systems.
Ohtani is the most valuable piece on the Angels roster. He’s baseball’s first full-time two-way player in a century and earned All-Star honors as both a pitcher and a designated hitter in each of the last two seasons.
This year, he’s 9-5 on the mound with a 2.80 ERA and 0.996 WHIP. At the plate, Ohtani has hit 19 home runs with 56 RBI. The Angels’ only three wins in their last 17 games came with Ohtani as the starting pitcher.
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