Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani Says He’s ‘Fine’ With Aftermath of Angels’ Disinterest: Report
Shohei Ohtani moved on quickly from the Angels once he signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers last offseason.
For the first time Tuesday, he will visit his old stomping grounds in the visitors’ dugout during the regular season.
The emotions will be mixed when Ohtani returns to the place that gave him his start in Major League Baseball but he’s “fine” with the fact that the Angels didn’t make him an offer to keep around longer, according to reports Monday.
“In reality, I wasn’t made an offer, so I can’t say,” Ohtani said after Monday’s 11-6 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks. “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.”
The Los Angeles Times first reported back in December, that the Angels didn’t match the $700 million offer Ohtani and his agent, Nez Balelo of CAA Sports, presented to interested teams at the end of his free-agent sweepstakes.
Ohtani was also unclear about what would have happened if they did attempt to keep in Anaheim.
“Regarding that, nothing in particular,” Ohtani vaguely said about the Angels declining to match the Dodgers offer. “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 was the face of the Angels franchise during his time there. Last year, the Angels were within reach of Wild Card contention, enough to become trade deadline buyers.
However, injuries to Mike Trout and a late-season implosion thwarted any postseason dreams.
“We were playing really well … It was like, ‘OK, dang, this is a team,’” Randal Grichuk, a former Angels teammate, recalled. “And then we forgot to pitch, forgot to hit. It fell apart.”
This Dodgers’ designated hitter is now leading his new team into the playoffs and will get a taste of postseason baseball for the first time in his MLB career. He is looking forward to his return to Angel Stadium and giving the fans the show they are used to seeing.
“It’s special to me, and it’s special to play in front of the fans,” Ohtani said of his upcoming return. “I’d like to do my best.”
Photo Credit: Owen Ziliak/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK
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