Los Angeles Angels phenom Shohei Ohtani speaks out on his desire to play for a winning team: "It sucks to lose"
Los Angeles Angels phenom Shohei Ohtani is getting tired of playing for a losing team. The six-year MLB veteran, who is an impending free agent this winter, made his feelings known through his translator at the All-Star Game workout day on Monday.
Ohtani's interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, announced the superstar pitcher/hitter's thoughts, saying:
"It sucks to lose. He wants to win, so it gets stronger every year."
"It sucks to lose. He wants to win, so it gets stronger every year."
Shohei Ohtani, through his translator, on how important being on a winning team is to him: https://t.co/tc47rqKjnu
Shohei Ohtani enters the All-Star break as MLB's leading hitter in several categories. Hitting a career-best .302, he leads the majors with 32 home runs, a .663 slugging percentage, a 1.050 on-base plus slugging percentage and six triples.
Playing in his third consecutive All-Star Game, Shohei Ohtani is also 7-4 with a 3.32 ERA, a 1.096 WHIP and 132 strikeouts in 17 starts this season.
Shohei Ohtani is the leading candidate to win the American League Most Valuable Player award this season. Should he win, it would be the second time in three seasons that he has claimed the honor. He also won the AL Rookie of the Year award in his debut MLB season in 2018.
Los Angeles has not made the AL playoffs since 2014 and has not had a winning record in any of Ohtani's previous five seasons with the organization.
The Angels had a strong start to the season, but as injuries have mounted, the team has begun to fade. Los Angeles came into the All-Star break at 45-46 having won just once in its last 10 games.
Shohei Ohtani may be on the move this winter — or sooner
Ohtani is in the final season of his contractual obligations with the Angels, the team he signed with after coming to MLB from Japan. He is being paid $30 million this season, but it has been speculated that he could demand upwards of $50 million a year as a free agent this winter.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are considered likely to be strong bidders for Ohtani's services after this season, as are the New York Mets and several other big-market MLB teams. With the Angels falling out of playoff contention, rumors are circling that the team may look to trade Ohtani this summer for a haul of prospects rather than lose him for nothing this offseason.