16 February 2023 , 13:40
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The Los Angeles Angels are in the position that every franchise wishes to be in - having arguably the two best players in the MLB on the same team.
Mike Trout has been dominating the league for a long time and looks to be on course to be the most valuable hitter of all-time. However, he is still without a World Series to his name, with the franchise not having one since 2002.
And for that drought to end, Trout and the Angels will hope to keep hold of 2021's MVP of the league, Shohei Ohtani, who arguably had a better season in 2022.
Ohtani is quickly become a top three player in the league, dominating in the last two years since arriving in Major League Baseball in 2018.
But after signing his first contract with the Angels, the do-it-all superstar is now in the final year of his deal and could become one of the more sought-after free agents in baseball history.
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The expectation is that he will command the biggest contract in baseball history, potentially exceeding $500 million, with rivals Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets said to be likely landing spots.
But the Angels will hope that it does not get to that point, and instead will be desperate he agrees to a long-term deal to remain with the team throughout his prime years, pairing him with Trout.
Speaking on Wednesday, Trout said: "I'm going to do whatever I can to keep Shohei here. The biggest thing is he's got to do what's right for him, and what he feels right.
Shohei Ohtani will become a free agent in November (Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)"That's all up to him. If he feels that staying in Anaheim is the right move, he should do that. And if he thinks otherwise, I'm going to do whatever I can to try to convince him to stay.
"He's got to really sit down and think about it. It's a big decision for him. It's probably the biggest one of his life. It's a difficult decision, because it's for him.
"If he does stay or if he -- I don't even like saying it -- if he leaves, it's going to be different for him. New atmosphere, new people, new teammates. Like I said, I'm going to do whatever I can to keep him here."
Despite having the two stars, both could be frustrated with the team's lack of winning, having failed to put the requisite players around them to compete at the highest level.
But Trout committed his future to the franchise after signing a 12-year, $426.5 million deal in 2019. The Dodgers now have eight months to try and agree a similar deal with Ohtani.