Shohei Ohtani’s agent has encouraging take on possible extension

There is some uncertainty about Shohei Ohtani’s long-term future with the Los Angeles Angels, but his agent offered some encouragement on that front Wednesday.

Ohtani’s agent Nez Balelo said Ohtani is “extremely happy” in Anaheim. Balelo also singled out the Angels for praise regarding how hard the team worked to keep Ohtani fresh throughout 2021.

Shohei Ohtani's agent, Nez Balelo, declined to comment on whether the team and Ohtani have had any talks about an extension, citing his agency's policy

He did say Ohtani is "extremely happy" in Anaheim & praised the way the team worked w/ Ohtani to keep him fresh this year

— Jack Harris (@Jack_A_Harris) November 10, 2021

This is noteworthy because Ohtani himself has suggested that staying with the Angels is no sure thing. It sounds like there’s one thing that’s very important to the two-way superstar.

The Angels have Ohtani under team control through 2023, so they don’t have to sweat losing him just yet. That said, it may be that they have two years to build a contender around Ohtani. It sounds like he’d like to stay if they can do that, but if the team is not winning, he may have to assess his options.