MLB rumors: Los Angeles Angels say Shohei Ohtani may not be going anywhere

It appears that the Los Angeles Angels are hoping to shoot down any MLB rumors about Shohei Ohtani being available at the upcoming MLB trade deadline.

MLB rumors: Los Angeles Angels don’t intend to move Shohei Ohtani at the trade deadline

According to Los Angeles Angels general manager Perry Minasian, the Angels will be keeping Ohtani through the MLB trade deadline thanks in part to how the Angels have fared through their first 75 games of the season. Entering play on Wednesday, the Angels have a 41-34 mark and are 5.0 games behind the Texas Rangers in the American League West. However, they are tied for the final AL Wild Card spot (along with the New York Yankees), giving Angels fans every reason to hope the team can continue its winning ways with Ohtani contributing on the mound and in the field.

“I think anybody who has watched us play or looked where we’re at in the standings, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, we like him and we hope he’s here a long time,” Minasian told MLB.com. “It’s pretty self-explanatory with where we’re at.”

Ohtani, in the final year of his contract with the Angels, enters Wednesday with a slash line of .300/.384/.632 while leading all MLB batters with 24 home runs and 58 RBI. On the mound, he has a 6-2 record with a 3.29 ERA and has logged 105 strikeouts in 82.0 innings heading into Wednesday’s start against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Keeping Ohtani through the deadline, however, doesn’t guarantee that the 28-year-old superstar will stay in an Angels uniform past this season. The bidding war for his services is expected to set records this offseason, with the Dodgers, New York Mets and San Diego Padres listed as potential destinations should the Angels not be able to work out a long-term deal to keep him.