"He obviously wants to have a Hall of Fame career" - Angels All-Star believes Shohei Ohtani would've accepted an offer to extend Anaheim stint

Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani is putting in MVP-calibre numbers despite his restricted role as a designated hitter following Tommy John surgery last year. As Ohtani seems destined for a first postseason appearance, his former Angels teammate Tyler Anderson gave his thoughts on the two-time MVP's Angels exit.

Tyler Anderson made his second All-Star selection for this season's Midsummer Classic. According to MLB analyst Jon Heyman, Anderson is one of several Angels players who believe Shohei Ohtani would've liked to stay in Anaheim if the Angels offered him a desired contract.

Anderson stated that Ohtani would have a much stronger case for a Hall of Fame induction had he stayed with only one team, the Angels, for the majority of his career.

“That’s the word,” Tyler Anderson said on the Angels not putting in a final offer for Ohtani. “He obviously did so well [in Anaheim], and I feel like if he obviously wants to have a Hall of Fame career, if you stay with one team, that’s the way to do it. He was clearly comfortable there to put up the numbers he had and everything he did. I’m sure there’s something to that.”

The Dodgers, San Francisco Giants, and Toronto Blue Jays were willing to meet Ohtani's demand for a deferred contract but the Angeles weren't the finalists for the Japanese phenom, per Heyman.

Shohei Ohtani continues to break records in his debut season with Dodgers

Although Shohei Ohtani signed a deferred $700 million deal with the Dodgers, Heyman writes that the Angels were always uncertain about handing a record-breaking deal to the Japanese star in the offseason because of Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon's hefty salaries.

Ohtani's deferred contract allowed the Dodgers to sign other players like Yoshinobu Yamamoto to mega deals without exceeding the payroll threshold. The former Rookie of the Year made his fourth consecutive All-Star appearance after this year's marquee event at Globe Life Field on July 16.

He continues to break records in his first season with the Dodgers as the two-time AL MVP became the first player since Mike Piazza to hit a home run in the Midsummer Classic after a three-run blast in the National League's 5-3 defeat against the American League.