ANAHEIM, Calif. — It wasn’t a yes or a no, but more of a matter-of-fact answer.
Angels general manager Perry Minasian was asked Tuesday whether he felt strongly about declaring that two-way star Shohei Ohtani would not be traded this season.
“I think it’s pretty self-explanatory with where we’re at [in the standings],” Minasian said twice.
The Angels entered their game Tuesday against the Dodgers with a 41-33 record, good for second place in the American League West and in position for a wild-card spot.
Ohtani, who began his major league career in 2018, can become a free agent after the season. The Angels have not made the playoffs since 2014. The trade deadline for this season is Aug. 1.
Ohtani is batting.300 and leads the majors in home runs (24), runs batted in (58) and on-base-plus-slugging percentage (1.016). On the mound, he is 6-2 with a 3.29 earned-run average and 105 strikeouts in 82 innings.
