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Minasian, though, had previously said he wanted to keep Ohtani long term.

“I think it’s step one,” he said last month, referencing the one-year contract Ohtani signed. “Hopefully, there’s more steps down the road. … We love the player, and nothing would make me more happy than bringing him back for a long time.”

The Angels are coming off their seventh consecutive losing season and missed the playoffs for an eighth consecutive year. Ohtani has previously said the losing does not sit well with him.

“I have to say that August and September in particular felt longer to me than last year,” Ohtani, speaking in Japanese, said after the season. “We were not able to play as many good games as we would like — including 14 consecutive losses. So I have a rather negative impression of this season.”

The 2021 American League MVP, Ohtani was again named a finalist Monday after another stellar season. He was 15-9 with a 2.33 ERA as a pitcher. As a batter he hit 34 home runs, had 95 RBIs and hit .273.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.