Insider shares if Shohei Ohtani could return to Angels

Alden Gonzalez of ESPN suggested there's a realistic scenario where two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani returns to the Los Angeles Angels for at least one more season. 

For a piece published Tuesday, Gonzalez noted that Ohtani could sign a contract that includes multiple opt-outs, including one that would allow the two-time American League Most Valuable Player to test free agency again as soon as after the 2024 World Series. Gonzalez named the Angels as the "most logical fit" if Ohtani's camp is serious about inking such a short-term deal. 

"Their best path toward bringing Ohtani back is comfort," Gonzalez said about the Angels. "By all accounts, he likes living in Orange County." 

Once it was learned this past February that Ohtani planned to explore free agency following the 2023 campaign, most assumed the generational star would leave the Angels to sign a big-money agreement with a club such as the Los Angeles Dodgers or New York Mets. That, however, was long before he underwent surgery in September to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. 

Ohtani isn't expected to pitch in a competitive game again until the spring of 2025, so it's believed he may only sign with a team that gives him the option of hitting the open market again next fall assuming he recovers well from his latest procedure. He needed Tommy John surgery after the 2018 season. 

"He has also rehabbed Tommy John surgery with them before and came out of it as a transcendent two-way player," Gonzalez added about Ohtani's relationship with the Angels. "He can lean on familiarity next season. If he feels good about the direction under new manager Ron Washington, he might just stay."

It's been said throughout the year that Ohtani prefers to remain on the West Coast. ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan reported earlier this month Ohtani could announce his decision before the winter meetings scheduled for Dec. 4-7, so one would think the 29-year-old has finalized his list of options at this point of the process.