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Shohei Ohtani teases Red Sox fans with Fenway Park comment
Shohei Ohtani teases Red Sox fans with Fenway Park comment,Los Angeles Angels two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani has given Boston Red Sox fans some hope regarding his future via a comment he made about Fenway Park.

Shohei Ohtani teases Red Sox fans with Fenway Park comment

Los Angeles Angels two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani has given Boston Red Sox fans some hope regarding his future via a comment he made about Fenway Park. 

“It’s one of my favorite parks, so I always look forward to pitching here,” Ohtani said through a translator on Monday, per Justin Leger of NBC Sports Boston. “But the conditions didn’t allow me to have fun fully. Other than that I always look forward to pitching here.” 

As mentioned by ESPN, Ohtani was referring to how his pitching start in Boston on Monday was first delayed by rain for 56 minutes and ultimately terminated after only two innings due to the less-than-ideal weather conditions. At one point, the 28-year-old on track to hit free agency after the season appeared rather uncomfortable while battling the Boston elements and an uncooperative jacket.

Shohei Ohtani. He’s just like us. pic.twitter.com/s2UbRrU66N

— Cut4 (@Cut4) April 17, 2023

However, the 2021 American League Most Valuable Player insisted he could’ve returned to the bump Monday if not for Angels manager Phil Nevin. 

“I had no control over it,” Ohtani explained about pitching just two innings at Fenway. “There’s nothing much I can do.”

Ohtani has been named a contender to compete for MVP, Cy Young, Silver Slugger and Gold Glove honors this season. Hall of Famer Greg Maddux recently compared the 2023 World Baseball Classic MVP to Nolan Ryan, Barry Bonds and Babe Ruth.

For a piece published Tuesday, John Tomase of NBC Sports Boston suggested the Red Sox ultimately “will come up with” reasons to not pursue Ohtani assuming he reaches the open market. Ohtani is routinely linked in rumors and reports with the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets, and it’s widely thought such big-spending clubs could engage in a bidding war that results in the once-in-a-generation talent earning more than $600M total from his next MLB contract. 

Greg Joyce of the New York Post and Randy Miller of NJ Advance Media for NJ.com have both hinted the New York Yankees could look to acquire Ohtani before this summer’s trade deadline if the Angels are essentially out of playoff contention by then. It’s believed the Angels don’t want to trade the sport’s most marketable star, and it’s also unknown if Ohtani is willing to relocate from the West Coast to call a city such as New York or Boston his long-term home.