Shohei Ohtani, a two-way player who is expected to be the most sought-after athlete available as a free agency this summer, may not be leaving.

The Los Angeles Angels are “cautiously optimistic” that Ohtani will re-sign with the team this winter, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today.

If Ohtani decides to leave the Angels, Nightengale also listed the Los Angeles Dodgers as “the favorite” to sign him. The Boston Red Sox “are a real threat” to sign him as well, an MLB executive told Jon Heyman of the New York Post earlier this month. He seems, nevertheless, to be willing to stick with the team he has played for his whole MLB career.

With a 73-89 record, the Angels placed fourth in the AL West in the season, their eighth consecutive losing campaign and their ninth consecutive season without making the playoffs. Had Ohtani not undergone surgery in mid-September to end his season due to a ruptured UCL in his throwing arm, he most likely would not have been able to play in the postseason this year.

The 2021 AL MVP appeared to be well on his way to expanding his trophy collection with further hardware while he was healthy. Ohtani started 23 games on the mound and finished with a 10-5 record, 3.14 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, and 167 strikeouts in 132 innings pitched. He also played 135 games and hit 304/.412/.684 with 44 home runs and 95 RBI.

Ohtani is still one of the major leagues’ most dangerous batters, even though he won’t be able to pitch till 2024. The Angels will probably exert every effort to keep him this winter in an attempt to put an end to the team’s protracted run of bad luck.