OC Register: Shohei Ohtani’s agent places no deadline on negotiations with Angels

[AngelsWin.com]

TEMPE, Ariz. — A few days after Shohei Ohtani was noncommittal in response to questions about his future, agent Nez Balelo was equally noncommittal, although he added that he’s “open” to talking any time.

Balelo watched the final hour of the Angels’ first full squad workout of the spring on Monday. Balelo spent much of the time chatting with general manager Perry Minasian, who had been equally mum on Ohtani’s future before camp opened.

After their conversation broke, Balelo was surrounded by reporters looking for any hints about the status of negotiations between the Angels and Ohtani over an extension.

“My typical answer to all of that is you know I don’t comment on any of that kind of stuff,” Balelo said. “Right now, Shohei is an Angel. He’s going to be an Angel all year. He’s thrilled about it. Perry has put together a really good team so we’re excited about what is to come in ’23.”

Balelo also declined to put any sort of deadline on negotiations. He said he is “always open” to talking, including during spring training. He suggested it becomes more challenging once the season begins, though.

“It’s a fine line when you ask a player to go through something like that during the season,” Balelo said. “Typically, it doesn’t happen, but I don’t have the crystal ball in front of me. I would just say that it’s tough to be able to have a discussion that will be so meaningful during the season. That probably makes more sense to table it and wait till the end of the season.”

Balelo added that Ohtani has been happy with his Angels experience, notwithstanding his well-chronicled frustration that the team has not been able to win.

“He’s been here five years,” Balelo said. “He knows everybody, knows the staff. He’s comfortable. Loves the area. Everything about it. It’ll be a really interesting year. We’re excited about it. So we’ll just see how everything shakes out.”

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  Angels’ Shohei Ohtani trying to focus on 2023, not pending free agency

Ohtani is making $30 million this season, a record for a player who has less than the six years of service time to qualify for free agency. His next deal is expected to surpass Mike Trout’s record $426-million deal in total value.

NOTES

Phil Nevin, in his first spring training as a big league manager, delivered a speech in the clubhouse before the first full squad workout. “I suppose I’ve only been thinking of that one for 20-some odd years,” Nevin quipped. …

Right-hander Ben Joyce drew a crowd to watch his first live batting practice session of the spring. The Angels’ third-round pick last year, Joyce has hit 105 mph with his fastball, and he consistently throws around 101 mph. …

Ohtani faced live pitching for the first time this spring on Monday. He is scheduled to face hitters for the first time off the mound on Tuesday.

View the full article

[BTH]

1 hour ago, AngelsWin.com said:

Balelo also declined to put any sort of deadline on negotiations. He said he is “always open” to talking, including during spring training. He suggested it becomes more challenging once the season begins, though.

I get that an extension is more complicated than avoiding arbitration, but the two sides were able to agree to a deal to avoid arbitration during last season.

So while it may he challenging, it doesn’t seem impossible— especially since he didn’t put a deadline on negotiations.

[wopphil]

Offer him 12/500 and get it done. 

[Jason]

58 minutes ago, wopphil said:

Offer him 12/500 and get it done. 

Lol! That's what it's going to take though 

[UndertheHalo]

3 hours ago, wopphil said:

Offer him 12/500 and get it done. 

I mean for real.  They say they want him.  Fine just get it over with.  

[AngelsLakersFan]

But what will become of our friend Ippei?

[Pancake Bear]

OC Register: Shohei Ohtani’s agent places no deadline on negotiations with Angels

MLBdotCom: Shohei Ohtani likely will elect to enter free agency at the end of the season rather than negotiate with the Angels on a long-term extension during the regular season, his agent, Nez Balelo, said Monday, but the door remains open for negotiations during Spring Training.

ESPN: Shohei Ohtani's agent, Nez Balelo, has been consistently coy about his client's contract status, but he hinted Monday at something many in the industry had long assumed -- that Ohtani will probably explore free agency, even if it does ultimately result in him returning to the Los Angeles Angels.

Gotta know your audience, amirite?

[BTH]

1 minute ago, Pancake Bear said:

OC Register: Shohei Ohtani’s agent places no deadline on negotiations with Angels

MLBdotCom: Shohei Ohtani likely will elect to enter free agency at the end of the season rather than negotiate with the Angels on a long-term extension during the regular season, his agent, Nez Balelo, said Monday, but the door remains open for negotiations during Spring Training.

ESPN: Shohei Ohtani's agent, Nez Balelo, has been consistently coy about his client's contract status, but he hinted Monday at something many in the industry had long assumed -- that Ohtani will probably explore free agency, even if it does ultimately result in him returning to the Los Angeles Angels.

Gotta know your audience, amirite?

The MLB article was written by some random writer, not the Angels MLB beat writer, and it clearly showed.

ESPN knows that the article will get more attention by writing in a way that suggests that Ohtani will be a free agent.

[Pancake Bear]

2 minutes ago, Trendon said:

The MLB article was written by some random writer, not the Angels MLB beat writer, and it clearly showed.

ESPN knows that the article will get more attention by writing in a way that suggests that Ohtani will be a free agent.

Exactly. Ambiguity is a weapon to generate clicks. It's not at all surprising.

[Ace-Of-Diamonds]

4 hours ago, wopphil said:

Offer him 12/500 and get it done. 

l think 10/500 is more like what it would take and that might not be the best offer either.

Edited February 21, 2023 by Ace-Of-Diamonds

[Blarg]

It would be irresponsible and stupid of the Angels to offer that contract. 

[Pancake Bear]

1 hour ago, Blarg said:

It would be irresponsible and stupid of the Angels to offer that contract. 

Not really. 1) Someone will pay him at least that much. 2) Ohtani makes them an absurd amount of money and will likely be more than worth it overall. 3) The supply/demand on pitchers next off-season is terrible, and we don't have enough in the farm to compete without supplementing from outside. 4) We are nearing the end of our window before Trout's contract potentially becomes an albatross. Unless we don't want to contend for the next ten years, this is the time to go all in. 5) Arte or whoever owns the team has more than enough money to pay him that and still field a solid team.

So, no, it wouldn't be irresponsible. It would be irresponsible not to.

 

[Revad]

9 hours ago, Blarg said:

It would be irresponsible and stupid of the Angels to offer that contract. 

So you’re saying it’s a sure thing?

[UndertheHalo]

12 hours ago, AngelsLakersFan said:

But what will become of our friend Ippei?

It’s the biggest question 

[gotbeer]

The elephant in the room is that 10/$500 or 12/$500 looks great when you have $150 million RSN deals.  But there might be a reason why it hasn't been offered yet by the Angels.  The next few months may really make the league into have's and have nots.  With the Yanks and YES, and the Dogs with Sportsnet still getting paid, and the Bally's of the world getting a fraction.  

[Angelsjunky]

People don't like to hear it, but I just don't see why Shohei wouldn't wait for free agency and see what kind of offers he gets. I know, he could get injured, but does anyone really think Shohei thinks that way? Maybe Arte blows him away with an offer during the season that he can't refuse...but he (and his agent) knows that whatever Arte offers, the Yankees will offer more. 

 

[beatlesrule]

Agent Nez Balelo of CAA, who represents Shohei Ohtani, told reporters this week that while an extension is “always” something to which they’ve been open, Ohtani has also “earned the right to play through the year, explore free agency” (link via ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez) As one would expect, Balelo spoke rather vaguely with regard to his star client’s future, stating that Ohtani is taking things “day by day” and downplaying the idea that the Angels’ lack of postseason berths during his time with the team would push the two-way sensation to a new team. “He’s so competitive, like all great players are, so of course they want to experience postseason, of course they’d love to be in the World Series,” said Balelo. “But is that the deciding factor? I don’t know. We’ll just have to wait and see.”

[Pancake Bear]

4 hours ago, gotbeer said:

The elephant in the room is that 10/$500 or 12/$500 looks great when you have $150 million RSN deals.  But there might be a reason why it hasn't been offered yet by the Angels.  The next few months may really make the league into have's and have nots.  With the Yanks and YES, and the Dogs with Sportsnet still getting paid, and the Bally's of the world getting a fraction.  

Don't drink the kool-aid.

 

[Revad]

Streaming directly to consumers might turn out to be lucrative, but that will take some time.  There is definitely going to be an impact on the Angels, IMO.  But Arte approved this budget, I think he’ll continue to spend at this level anyway- really need a good team to get good attendance like 3 million fans.

[Tank]

i hope he signs soon so we don't have to go through 500 threads and ten months of wondering what he's going to do.

[AngelsLakersFan]

9 hours ago, Angelsjunky said:

People don't like to hear it, but I just don't see why Shohei wouldn't wait for free agency and see what kind of offers he gets. I know, he could get injured, but does anyone really think Shohei thinks that way? Maybe Arte blows him away with an offer during the season that he can't refuse...but he (and his agent) knows that whatever Arte offers, the Yankees will offer more. 

 

You don’t test free agency if you want to stay

[UndertheHalo]

2 hours ago, AngelsLakersFan said:

You don’t test free agency if you want to stay

I am sad that you doubt the ohtaniSans fire and desire to experience an entire Labrador retrievers lifetime of Gubi Tuesdays.

[Pancake Bear]

3 hours ago, AngelsLakersFan said:

You don’t test free agency if you want to stay

Aaron Judge agrees.

[Revad]

6 hours ago, UndertheHalo said:

I am sad that you doubt the ohtaniSans fire and desire to experience an entire Labrador retrievers lifetime of Gubi Tuesdays.

And play with Mike Trout and skinny dip in the warm water of the fountain pool in center field with selected fans (AW membership required).

[ScruffytheJanitor]

Assuming I were a Billionaire and the owner of the Angels, I would offer 6 years, 330 Million (55 Per year) -- with an opt outs in year 3 and 5. You can fudge the numbers here and make it look like a 10 year, 500 Million + offer, but in reality its almost certainly going to be a 3-5 year deal. 

From Ohtani's perspective, he would probably want to do something like Machado did and get paid twice. The two opt outs give him the chance to either reach Free Agency at age 31 or  stick around with Trout and the gang if we are (still?) winning while hitting the market in his age 33 season -- which is realistically the last shot he'll get at the really big bucks. 

For the Angels, 3-4 seasons is really the window we are looking at before Trout's decline begins in earnest AND Rodon's contract becomes a real an albatross. The double opt outs give us insurance in case things fall apart this year and/or next year while also setting us up for a decent trade if Trout really starts to slow down.