If there was any doubt about whether Shohei Ohtani would test free agency after this season, that has evaporated.
The two-way Angels star’s agent, Nez Balelo, said Monday at the team’s camp in Tempe, Arizona, that Ohtani has “earned the right” to hit the open market, where the 28-year-old is expected to land a record contract in the range of $500 million.
“I’ve always been open to it,” Balelo said about negotiating an extension with the Angels, according to ESPN. “But there’s several layers to this one, and Shohei’s earned the right to play through the year, explore free agency, and we’ll see where it shakes out.”
Balelo then said he and his client are “taking one day at a time” when asked if a spring extension was unlikely.
Shohei Ohtani takes swings at Angels spring training on Feb. 17, 2023. AP
“I’m not putting the cart before the horse on this one,” said Balelo, who also implied that negotiations likely wouldn’t take place during the regular season.
Ohtani has become a phenomenon for his prowess both on the mound and at the plate. He won the AL MVP in 2021 when he was fully unleashed as a pitcher, racking up a 3.18 ERA and 156 strikeouts in 130 1/3 innings. He hit 46 home runs with 100 RBIs, 26 doubles, eight triples, 26 stolen bases and 103 runs that season.
Last year, Ohtani hit 34 homers with 95 RBIs, 30 doubles, six triples, 11 steals and 90 runs while taking a step forward on the mound, pitching to a 2.33 ERA with 219 strikeouts in 166 innings. He lost out on the AL MVP to Aaron Judge and finished fourth in the AL Cy Young voting.
Shohei Ohtani throws in the bullpen at Angels spring training on Feb. 18, 2023. USA TODAY Sports
Angels owner Arte Moreno, who decided not to sell the team after exploring a sale, told The Post’s Jon Heyman earlier this month that he’d like to keep Ohtani. Outsiders expressed doubt to Heyman that Moreno will have much of a chance with big-spending teams like the Dodgers, Padres and Mets likely to pursue him.
When Mets owner Steve Cohen was asked about Ohtani’s impending free agency on Monday, he replied, “That’s next year. Let’s worry about this year.”