Angels News: Owner Arte Moreno Breaks Silence on Shohei Ohtani’s Impending Free Agency

He finally speaks out.

Angels owner Arte Moreno has been at the center of headlines all offseason long. He was at the center of headlines when he said he was going to sell the Angels after 20 seasons as the team's owner. He was then at the center of headlines when he got cold feet, and decided that he was not going to sell the team, after all. And now, he's about to be at the center of headlines yet again, because on Wednesday, Moreno spoke publicly for the first time in seemingly forever, in an interview with the New York Post.

The topic, of course, was about Angels two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani. He's entering his final year under contract, and is getting set to enter unrestricted free agency in what could turn out to be the greatest bidding war in MLB history. Moreno made it clear where he stands on keeping Ohtani long-term.

"I’d like to keep Ohtani," Moreno said to The Post. "He’s a one of a kind, he's a great person. He’s obviously one of the most popular baseball players in the world, and he’s an international star. He’s a great teammate. He works hard. He’s a funny guy, and he has a really good rapport with fans."

No lies detected there. Ohtani has transcended the baseball world, and is a great presence both on and off the field. However, there are two big questions about him staying in Anaheim.

1. Does Ohtani want to re-sign long-term? And 2. Will Moreno spend enough money to do it?

Moreno answered the first question very candidly.

"We have to win," Moreno said. "We have to do a better job on the field."

He's not wrong there. The Angels haven't had a winning season since Ohtani signed in 2018, and haven't made the postseason since well before Ohtani's time in 2014. If they want any chance to keep Ohtani, they have to win games this season.

As for the second question, here's what Moreno said:

"Economically we’re usually in the top 10, so it’s not out of the question," Moreno said regarding paying Ohtani a record contract. "I’d like to say we have as good a chance as anybody."

Moreno knows that he'll have to spend a record amount to keep Ohtani, and definitely exceed the luxury tax for the first time as an owner. No one knows if he'll do it except for him, so it's nice to see him make it sound like it's a real possibility.

Even if he does, however, many insiders don't see the Angels having a good chance to sign Ohtani long-term. Jon Heyman, who conducted this interview with Moreno, has already all but called them out of the race, saying it's "far less likely" he re-signs now that Moreno is keeping the team. Other experts have done the same, even leaving the Angels out of their top five landing spots.

The good news is Moreno sounds committed to at least trying to re-sign Ohtani, and seems to understand what it will take. The question is, will he actually put his money where his mouth is?