ANAHEIM -- Angels general manager Perry Minasian said Tuesday that the club doesn’t intend to trade two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani before the Trade Deadline because of where they are in the standings.

The Angels entered the day with a 41-33 record, having won 11 of 14, and Minasian was asked if he’d consider trading Ohtani, who is in the last year of his contract and will be a free agent after the season.

“I think anybody who has watched us play or looked where we’re at in the standings, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, we like him and we hope he’s here a long time,” Minasian said. “It’s pretty self-explanatory with where we’re at.”

Minasian was asked a follow-up question if there was any scenario in which he’d trade Ohtani and he again dismissed the idea.

“It’s pretty self-explanatory with where we’re at,” Minasian reiterated.

Ohtani, the AL MVP in 2021 and the runner-up to Aaron Judge last year, is again having an MVP-caliber season. He entered Tuesday slashing .300/.384/.632 with an MLB-leading 24 homers and 58 RBIs in 72 games. In 14 starts on the mound, he's also gone 6-2 with a 3.29 ERA and 105 strikeouts in 82 innings. His next start is slated for Wednesday against the Dodgers.

Given his value both on and off the field, the Angels were never expected to deal him this season. But they now risk the chance of him signing with another club this offseason and only receiving Draft-pick compensation in return. Ohtani, 28, is expected to command a record contract in free agency.