Mike Trout on Shohei Ohtani potentially leaving in free agency after 2023 season: "We gotta put a big year together and hopefully keep him here"

Shohei Ohtani is set to hit free agency following the 2023 season, and Mike Trout would love to keep him with the Los Angeles Angels. Ohtani has proven to be one of the best players in the MLB and a once-in-a-lifetime-type talent. The pairing of Trout and Ohtani is a home run on paper, but it has not led to winning seasons or playoff appearances.

Different players are motivated by very different things, but winning is a very common factor. The Angels will have to show Ohtani that they are capable of putting a team around their two stars. Having arguably the two best players in the league on one roster is almost a cheat code. Not even having been able to reach the playoffs is almost unfathomable.

The MLB Network posted comments made by Mike Trout to Twitter.

"There's nothing more that he wants to do than win. We gotta put a big year together and hopefully keep him here" - Mike Trout

There are no other players in the MLB like Shohei Ohtani. Not only is he an All-Star caliber starting pitcher, he is also an All-Star level hitter. He won the MVP in 2021 and would have won it in 2022 if not for the heroics of New York Yankees star Aaron Judge. It took an all-time offensive season from Judge to steal the MVP crown away from Ohtani.

This post from Twitter user Codify Baseball helps to contextualize what a tremendous player Ohtani is.

"Just completely insane" - Codify Baseball

Trout knows how important winning is to Ohtani. The tough question is whether or not the team around them is good enough to have a big year. Shohei Ohtani will likely sign a massive contract this offseason, and it might not be with the Los Angeles Angels.

The Los Angeles Angels need to capitalize on having Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani

Houston Astros v Los Angeles Angels

Around MLB, we are seeing how much money teams are willing to spend to acquire superstars. Whether it's the San Diego Padres or New York Mets, massive contracts are being handed out. Ohtani's will likely eclipse them all, just as Mike Trout did when he signed long-term. Until then, the Angels need to find a way to send these two studs into the postseason.

This clip posted to YouTube shows what the pairing of Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani is capable of.

2023 might be the last season we see this pair playing together, so we need to appreciate the greatness of it.