Shohei Ohtani has expressed uncertainty about whether he would have stayed with the Los Angeles Angels had they matched the $700 million contract he ultimately received from the Los Angeles Dodgers last offseason. Ohtani mentioned that since the Angels never made him an offer, it’s hard to speculate on what his decision would have been. In an interview with Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times, Ohtani stated, “In reality, I wasn’t made an offer, so I can’t say. In reality, I’m doing my best with this team, and I’m doing my best with the goal of winning the World Series. I think I’m fine with that.”
During his six successful years with the Angels, Ohtani earned two AL MVP awards, the 2018 AL Rookie of the Year title, and three All-Star selections. Despite his accomplishments, Angels owner Arte Moreno reportedly chose not to match the Dodgers’ offer, which was also pursued by the San Francisco Giants and Toronto Blue Jays. When asked about his thoughts on the Angels’ decision, Ohtani expressed his gratitude for the teams that valued him, rather than dwelling on the Angels’ actions. He commented, “Regarding that, nothing in particular. I think other teams, including the Dodgers, evaluated me highly. Rather than think about what the Angels did or didn’t do, I’m grateful for the teams that evaluated me highly.”
Ohtani is set to return to Anaheim on Tuesday, this time donning a Dodgers uniform. At 30 years old, he is having another exceptional season and is on track to potentially become the first player in MLB history to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a single season.