{"id":59543,"date":"2023-07-19T11:00:41","date_gmt":"2023-07-19T15:00:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/?p=59543"},"modified":"2023-07-19T08:26:52","modified_gmt":"2023-07-19T12:26:52","slug":"shohei-ohtani-trade-rumors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2023\/07\/19\/shohei-ohtani-trade-rumors\/","title":{"rendered":"Three Teams That Can Pull Off a Shohei Ohtani Trade"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>On Saturday morning, MLB reporter Jon Morosi took to the air on MLB Network to break that the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2023\/07\/13\/angels-playoffs-mlb\/\" target=\"_self\">Los Angeles Angels<\/a> are in &#8220;listening mode&#8221; on trade offers concerning superstar Shohei Ohtani. With close to two weeks until the August 1st trade deadline, Morosi diagnosed the probability of a trade as &#8220;unlikely, but possible&#8221;, due to a litany of factors for both scenarios.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">The Angels are now in a listening mode with Shohei Ohtani trade inquiries, sources say, as I reported in this <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MLBNetwork?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@MLBNetwork<\/a> segment. Suitors must be prepared to offer multiple top-100 type prospects to begin the conversation. <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MLBPipeline?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@MLBPipeline<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MLB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@MLB<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/WEea8ReOlt\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/WEea8ReOlt<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/jonmorosi\/status\/1680302754969911304?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">July 15, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h2>Three Teams That Can Pull Off a Shohei Ohtani Trade<\/h2>\n<h3>Unlikely<\/h3>\n<p>Earlier in July, The Athletic&#8217;s Ken Rosenthal announced Angels owner Arte Moreno is unwilling to authorize a Shohei Ohtani trade. Rosenthal described that Moreno fears being the man responsible for allowing a player of Ohtani&#8217;s caliber to be willingly dealt. However, the Angels are not the only concerned party. Trade candidates are aware of the two-way star&#8217;s contract status. Mortgaging a prospect pool to acquire a rental that will indubitably sign a contract upwards of $500M in the winter is a daunting risk. A risk that will likely not create the sufficient return that the Angels may demand for Ohtani.<\/p>\n<h3>Possible<\/h3>\n<p>The Angels appear to be petering out of the playoff race, losing seven of their last ten games. Long-term injuries to numerous starting position players, including Mike Trout, have ravaged most postseason hope. The free agent bidding war for Ohtani&#8217;s services will be record-setting. If he is lost, the Angels will only recuperate a singular draft pick. While trading the sports world&#8217;s greatest athlete is detrimental to reputation, the organization has no choice but to entertain what an Ohtani trade can fetch to bolster their 28th-ranked farm system.<\/p>\n<p>And how entertaining it must be. As Morosi mentioned, there is no equal comparison to Shohei Ohtani&#8217;s value, even with an expiring contract. The <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2023\/07\/04\/domingo-tapia-called-up\/\" target=\"_self\">San Diego Padres<\/a> trade for Juan Soto\u00a0last season for a package including four prospects in MLB Pipeline&#8217;s top 100 is the only one that comes close. Although Soto and Ohtani&#8217;s status of team control differs, the asking price will be just as significant, if not more. Multiple playoff-hunting suitors are already in the mix if the Angels elect to move him.<\/p>\n<h3>New York Yankees<\/h3>\n<p>The &#8220;Evil Empire&#8221; of Major League Baseball is no stranger to star-chasing. And the rumors surrounding Ohtani&#8217;s market tell the same tale, as ESPN&#8217;s Buster Olney named the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2023\/06\/23\/gerrit-cole-cy-young\/\" target=\"_self\">Yankees<\/a> &#8220;the most motivated&#8221; to land the superstar in baseball&#8217;s biggest market last week. Even without a strong farm system, there is enough talent in the organization to engage in discussions.<\/p>\n<p>Yankees Receive: DH\/RHP Ohtani<\/p>\n<p>Angels Receive: SS\/3B Oswaldo Peraza, OF Jasson Dominguez,\u00a0RHP Drew Thorpe, RHP Yoendrys Gomez<\/p>\n<p>Los Angeles gets back a chance to develop the blocked Peraza, the prize of 2019&#8217;s International FA class in Dominguez (MLB Pipeline #41 ranked), along with two young arms having career seasons in the minor leagues, sitting within the Yankees&#8217; top 10 prospect list.<\/p>\n<h3>Tampa Bay Rays<\/h3>\n<p>The American League&#8217;s best record will look into adding the game&#8217;s best player to a roster already flooded with talent. Marc Topkin from the <em>Tampa Bay Times<\/em> revealed that the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2023\/06\/06\/al-cy-young-race\/\" target=\"_self\">Rays<\/a> will be &#8220;making a call&#8221; to check on Ohtani&#8217;s status. Tampa&#8217;s MO as a small-market team is to develop and build a team from within, rarely splurging for marquee acquisitions, which makes a potential Rays trade fascinating. Plus, their consistently potent pool of young MLB players and prospects offers needs for the Angels.<\/p>\n<p>Rays Receive: DH\/RHP Ohtani<\/p>\n<p>Angels Receive: 2B Curtis Mead, 1B Kyle Manzardo, INF Osleivis Basabe, RHP Shane Baz<\/p>\n<p>Mead (Rays #3) and Manzardo (Rays #4) can provide a bright future for the Angels at positions where neither has seen much consistent production. 22-year-old Osleivies Basabe has produced valiantly at every level of minor-league play. Shane Baz will get an opportunity to reclaim his former top prospect status on a club with perennial rotation problems.<\/p>\n<h3>Baltimore Orioles<\/h3>\n<p>A darker horse in the race for Ohtani is the young upstart <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2023\/07\/06\/jackson-holliday-prospect-profile\/\" target=\"_self\">Orioles<\/a>. Multiple years of basement-dwelling allowed the O&#8217;s to amass a juggernaut of a farm system, currently boasting eight prospects in the top 100. Their name won&#8217;t ring out with other trade contenders like the Rangers or Phillies, but the package that can be put forward will submerge other offerings significantly.<\/p>\n<p>Orioles Receive: DH\/RHP Ohtani<\/p>\n<p>Angels Receive: OF Heston Kjerstad, 2B\/OF Connor Norby, 3B Coby Mayo<\/p>\n<p>Heston Kjerstad (#36 ranked) is the kicker, a 6&#8217;3 lefty bat and 2nd overall draftee in 2020, with a 143 WRC+ in Triple-A this year. Utility man Connor Norby (#66 ranked) provides defensive versatility and excels at hitting the fastball. Coby Mayo has tools at the hot corner, scoring 60-grade power and 70-grade arm strength. Despite the talent included, Baltimore can still hang on to their top three in this situation.<\/p>\n<h3>The Verdict<\/h3>\n<p>Out of the three mock proposals, the Los Angeles Angels will benefit the most from accepting the Rays&#8217; offer. Eduardo Escobar and Gio Urshela will not be under contract next year. Anthony Rendon has yet to play 60 games in a season since signing a seven-year, $257 million contract in 2020. Jared Walsh has regressed and has recently been optioned to solve his struggles in Triple-A. The Tampa Bay proposal can land them controllable top 40 prospects in Mead and Manzardo to join rookie standout Zach Neto as part of a new young infield core.<\/p>\n<p>Shane Baz is not to be overlooked here. He was a force in Triple-A prior to his 2021 MLB debut, with a 2.06 ERA in 78 2\/3 IP. A lingering elbow injury hampered his ascent before undergoing Tommy John surgery in late 2022 after six games. Time will tell in 2024 if Baz can return to form.<\/p>\n<p>Main photo credits:<\/p>\n<p>Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports<\/p>\n<p>Players mentioned:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/o\/ohtansh01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2023-07-19_br\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Shohei Ohtani<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/t\/troutmi01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2023-07-19_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Mike Trout<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/search\/search.fcgi?pid=sotoju01,soto--004jua&amp;search=Juan+Soto&amp;utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2023-07-19_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Juan Soto<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/p\/perazos01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2023-07-19_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Oswaldo Peraza<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/search\/search.fcgi?pid=,doming002jas&amp;search=Jasson+Dom\u00ednguez&amp;utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2023-07-19_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jasson Dominguez<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/register\/player.fcgi?id=thorpe000dre&amp;utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2023-07-19_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Drew Thorpe<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/register\/player.fcgi?id=gomez-000yoe&amp;utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2023-07-19_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Yoendrys Gomez<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/register\/player.fcgi?id=mead--000cur&amp;utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2023-07-19_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Curtis Mead<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/register\/player.fcgi?id=manzar000kyl&amp;utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2023-07-19_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Kyle Manzardo<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/register\/player.fcgi?id=basabe000osl&amp;utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2023-07-19_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Osleivis Basabe<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/b\/bazsh01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2023-07-19_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Shane Baz<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/register\/player.fcgi?id=kjerst000hes&amp;utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2023-07-19_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Heston Kjerstad<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/register\/player.fcgi?id=norby-000con&amp;utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2023-07-19_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Connor Norby<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/register\/player.fcgi?id=mayo--000cob&amp;utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2023-07-19_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Coby Mayo<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/e\/escobed01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2023-07-19_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Eduardo Escobar<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/u\/urshegi01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2023-07-19_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Gio Urshela<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/r\/rendoan01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2023-07-19_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Anthony Rendon<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/w\/walshja01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2023-07-19_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jared Walsh<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/n\/netoza01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2023-07-19_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Zach Neto<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On Saturday morning, MLB reporter Jon Morosi took to the air on MLB Network to break that the Los Angeles Angels are in &#8220;listening mode&#8221; on trade offers concerning superstar Shohei Ohtani. With close to two weeks until the August 1st trade deadline, Morosi diagnosed the probability of a trade as &#8220;unlikely, but possible&#8221;, due [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4676,"featured_media":59620,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"1","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2,16,1071],"tags":[1261,6247,2633,2792,2970,2133,248,5853,1333,2178],"class_list":["post-59543","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-angels","category-mlb","tag-anthony-rendon","tag-curtis-mead","tag-eduardo-escobar","tag-gio-urshela","tag-jasson-dominguez","tag-juan-soto","tag-mike-trout","tag-oswald-peraza","tag-shane-baz","tag-shohei-ohtani"],"modified_by":"Troy Brock","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59543","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4676"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=59543"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59543\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/59620"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=59543"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=59543"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=59543"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}