When we say Shohei Ohtani is a dual threat, we usually mean that he can beat you as a pitcher and as a hitter. But let’s not forget two other, broader skills: He is a great baseball player, and he is an exceptional non-answerer.
Over 17 somewhat less than riveting minutes at All-Star Game media day in Seattle on Monday, Ohtani mostly repeated to dozens of reporters the same refrain he has sung all season: He hasn’t thought much about this offseason, when his contract with the Angels expires and he will become the most coveted free agent in the history of the sport—and neither should you.
Give reporters credit for trying, but Ohtani is just too good at this. Does an event like this make him think about his future?
“This is my third All-Star Game,” he said through interpreter Ippei Mizuhara. “Every time I come, I mostly think about the All-Star Game next year.”
O.K., well, in the meantime, as the Angels crawl toward a typically mediocre record, is he worried about being traded at the deadline?
“Obviously on the trade stuff, he has no control over that, so he just tries not to think about it [and] focuses on the game that day,” said Mizuhara. “That’s the hardest part, trying to win ballgames every day. So he tries not to think about that.”
Jayne Kamin-Oncea/USA TODAY Sports
But does he prefer the small-market status the Angels offer?
“Doesn’t really matter to him whether it’s a big or smaller market,” Mizuhara said. “Angels fans, they come watch the Angels because they love the team. He wants to perform the best for him. Like he said, the stuff that he could control or can control, whatever he can control, he wants to do his best.”
But surely this is a special year?
“I treat every season as a special season,” Ohtani said. “This season is no different. Regardless of if I’m a free agent next year or not, just try to treat it the same as every other year.” He added, “I’ve never been a free agent before, so I’m not sure how that’s gonna be. Like I said before, I’m focused on this season right now. I just want to do my best this year and try to get as many wins as possible.”
He almost cracked when someone asked him if he’d been tempted to compete in the Home Run Derby, as he did in 2021.
“I did obviously think about it,” he said. “I was asked. It was an honor to be asked. But with all the other things going on this season, I just want to focus on the game and do my job as a DH.”
Aha! So he admits there are a lot of things going on this season! A stunning revelation!
Perhaps spurred by such success, someone asked specifically about reports that he had strongly considered signing with the Cubs when he came over from Japan before the 2018 season.
Ohtani laughed. “All those reports, probably most of them are lies,” he said. “They just make stuff up. I don’t think you should believe everything you read.” He declined to tell fans what they should believe. “I’m just going to keep that to myself,” he said.
And so he did. He may have a few peers left on the field, but at masking his intentions, at the very least, he’s the greatest of all time.
