Shohei Ohtani keeps dropping hints about future with Los Angeles Angels

There is no questioning Shohei Ohtani’s talent or desire to win. That makes his most recent comments about the Los Angeles Angels even more interesting.

While Ohtani is having yet another season for the ages, he has admitted that it is difficult staying focused. As Sarah Valenzuela of the Los Angeles Times reported, Ohtani said that “remaining motivated in that way is hard” when asked about his motivation as the Angels are once again staring another losing season in the face.

The Los Angeles Angels losing is wearing on Shohei Ohtani

It would be difficult to tell from his performance this season. Ohtani is putting together another MVP caliber performance, having posted a 139 OPS+ with 24 homers and 11 steals in his 443 plate appearances while putting together a 2.83 ERA and a 1.038 WHiP with 152 strikeouts and 24 walks over 105 innings on the mound. He is dominating in a way that has not been seen in generations.

But even Ohtani has not been able to save the Angels. They are wasting another one of his impressive seasons as they struggle to stay out of the AL West basement. For a player who wants to compete at the highest level and be part of a winning organization, that is something that can truly wear on him.

It is also another statement that puts his future in Los Angeles in question. As it is, executives around the league do not expect Ohtani to stay with the Angels beyond 2023, even if he is expected to remain on the west coast. Add in the fact that Ohtani has not exactly been committed to remaining with the Angels, and has continued to say that he wants to be on a team that can win, and the writing seems to be on the wall.

Ohtani is not going to outright say that he is leaving the Angels behind. He is also not going to outright say that he is fed up and waiting for the 2023-24 offseason. However, comments about how it is hard to remain motivated when dealing with this degree of losing are telling of his mindset and possible plans for the future.

Shohei Ohtani is finding it difficult to remain motivated due to the Los Angeles Angels’ constant losing. It is another sign that he will be elsewhere in 2024.