Ohtani mum on trade talk: 'I don't know what's going to happen in the future'

Los Angeles Angels superstar Shohei Ohtani is staying focused despite the Aug. 2 trade deadline looming.

"It doesn't really change what I do, of course," Ohtani said in Japanese, according to Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times. "As long as I'm with the Angels, I want to do my job the best I can.

"I don't know what's going to happen in the future, but like I said, I'd like to focus game by game on what I have to do: pitching and hitting."

Ohtani, who's eligible to test free agency after the 2023 campaign, was mum on the idea of leaving the struggling Angels through a trade.

"More than my feelings, that will be determined by what the organization wants to do," the reigning AL MVP said. "When it comes to something I can't control, I don't really have any feelings about what I want."

The 28-year-old is firmly in contention to become the first player since Miguel Cabrera (2012-13) to win back-to-back MVPs. He went deep 19 times with 10 steals and an .835 OPS as a hitter before the All-Star break while also making a case for a Cy Young finalist nomination thanks to a 2.38 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, and 12.7 K/9 over 15 starts (87 innings).