As one of baseball’s most dynamic players, it’s not surprising that Shohei Ohtani trade rumors dominated many headlines ahead of MLB’s August 2nd trade deadline.
Although the Angels flirted with the idea of trading the reigning American League MVP, nothing ever really got serious thanks to owner Arte Moreno, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. But with the combination of Moreno potentially selling the Angels and Ohtani hitting free agency after 2023, this may be a reality for Los Angeles. At least, that’s what one MLB insider is reporting.
Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe recently reported there’s a “decent chance” of an Ohtani trade happening this winter. He also added that the Yankees “would surely be interested” in acquiring the two-way star.
I mean, who wouldn’t be interested in acquiring Ohtani, right? There are literally 29 other MLB teams who would love to install him in their rotation and lineup on a regular basis. The big question is which teams can put together an attractive trade package to make it happen, along with having a shot at signing him to a long-term deal.
If that sounds like a familiar situation, it’s like Juan Soto 2.0. Ohtani is under team control for a shorter period and is older than Soto, but you get the idea.
Having Ohtani in the Bronx has all the makings of being electric. After all, we’re talking about the first dude ever to win 10 games as a pitcher and hit 30-plus homers as a hitter in the same season. Not even Babe Ruth could do that (although he was close). Pairing him with Gerrit Cole in the rotation would give the Yankees quite the one-two punch.
It’d also be fun to see him and Aaron Judge in the same lineup…if the outfielder doesn’t jet via free agency.
As mentioned before, every other team in baseball wants a player like Ohtani, so it’s not like the Yankees would be the only interested suitor. You’d have to think another team with interest would be right across town in the Mets.
The Amazins have their own rotation questions to answer before Opening Day rolls around in 2023. Plus, while they have some intriguing options in the minor leagues, their designated hitter production has been sub-par, to say the least. We can’t forget that general manager Billy Eppler was the one who signed Ohtani in 2017 and developed a nice connection with the superstar.
Could this be a good ol’ fashioned showdown between the Mets and Yanks? It’ll likely be a battle of major market teams, so it’ll be fascinating to see how this unfolds in the coming months. And, if these rumors end up actually having any legs.
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Matt Musico can be reached at matt.musico@xlmedia.com and you can follow him on Twitter: @mmusico8.
