The Doomsday clock is ticking for the Angels as we wait to see which trade offer for Shohei Ohtani can make Arte Moreno budge.
Moreno has already stated that he is not looking to trade Ohtani, and as baseball experts feel that’s a very risky decision to make, Moreno is trying his best to remain in the delusion that has prevented the World Series title from reaching Orange County again.
But Jerry, as Dodger fans, why should we care?
If Ohtani’s contract runs out, he leaves for free and can possibly join the Dodgers with no extra cost.
But you have to keep in mind that every other team in the league is trying their best to put the two-way superstar’s pen to their paper. Once Ohtani is free, everyone will be fighting for him.
A trade is the most ideal and logical thing the Angels can do if they want the best outcome out of Ohtani’s departure.
According to The Athletic’s Jim Bowden, there are only a handful of teams that can possibly pursue the Angels with a nice trade offer – Rays, Dodgers, Mariners, Yankees, Braves, and several others.
And if there’s gonna be a trading/bidding war for Ohtani within the next two weeks, Bowden is suggesting that the Dodgers would have to give up some key farm players.
“The Angels would have to insist on either Diego Cartaya or Dalton Rushing, both top catching prospects, being included in the trade. Then they could ask for a trio of pitching prospects who have cut their teeth in the majors: Emmet Sheehan, Gavin Stone, and either Michael Grove or Ryan Pepiot. Add a couple of position players to the package, such as outfielder Andy Pages and either third baseman Michael Busch or outfielder Josue De Paula, and you start getting close to the necessary return value for a deal.”
The Dodgers might need at least six prospects in order to convince the Angels to give up Ohtani by August, and that might seem like a lot for the Dodgers to give up right now, but it seems like an even greater deal for Anaheim who are set to end up with nothing if no deal is made.
Should the Dodgers trade for Ohtani before the August 1st trade deadline? Sound off in the comments below:
Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
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