Angels News: Former Manager Joe Maddon on Shohei Ohtani’s Impending Free Agency

Maddon spent a lot of time with Ohtani during his Angels' tenure.

Shohei Ohtani is entering his final year of Angel control in 2023. After signing a record one-year, $30 million deal for an arbitration eligible player, Ohtani declined to speak about any further extensions. Angels GM Perry Minasian has already said he wants Ohtani back, but the Angels most likely need to prove to Ohtani they can win before he puts pen to paper on a long-term extension.

Interim manager Phil Nevin will be in charge of the team in 2023, but Ohtani's former manager, Joe Maddon, was asked about the superstar's impending free agency in the 2023 offseason. Maddon gave this response when Dan Patrick asked what he thought Ohtani was going to do.

"Shohei is really his own man," Maddon said. "Remember when Shohei first came over I think he definitely wanted to stay on the West Coast, I think he was concerned of course and also about having an American League team where he could utilize both. Right now the whole league is open to him. I don’t think that location or travel are as important. I think culturally having probably been closer to Japan at the point mattered, but now I don’t think it matters as much. I think he’s really gotten his feet on the ground in the sense when it comes to the American culture. So I think it’s wide open where as in the past it was not."

Maddon also shared a key factor that should come into play in Ohtani’s decision, putting truth to some of the speculation.

“Shohei wants to win,” Maddon said. “One thing about Shohei — he’s great and he’s got all these things going on for him — but at the end of the day, this guy wants to win. So I think he’s going to be motivated by that. I mean money’s going to come regardless, it doesn’t matter where Shohei goes he’s going to make his dough.”

The Angels have yet to put together a winning season since Ohtani arrived, and haven't reached the postseason since 2014. If winning is a big factor for Ohtani, Minasian and the Angels better put together a winning roster in 2023.