Shohei Ohtani – The 2023 MLB trade deadline is just over a week away. What everyone wants to know: Will the Los Angeles Angels Trade Shohei Ohtani? If so, where would he go? The Japanese sensation is perhaps the most valuable trade in baseball history. Ohtani is in the midst of a historic season with an MLB-leading .305/.400/.676 batting average and 35 home runs. The two-way star has proven solid on the mound despite suffering from blisters in recent weeks, posting an AL-best 3.71 ERA and 11.9 strikeouts per nine in 19 starts.
The Angels are on a four-game winning streak but are four games away from 50-48 in the third-place wild-card slot in the American League, which starts Saturday. With no guaranteed playoff transfer, the team is at least considering a move for Ohtani but has yet to decide whether to move him.
Whoever (if anyone) signs him would get him one of the all-time greats with a diamond, but the two-way star will almost certainly be free this winter. But the two-way star will almost certainly become a free agent this winter. So if he does make the move, the team that brought him in risks losing him within months. With just days left before speculation really kicks in, sportsbooks are starting to put out odds on who the post-deadline team will be.
Here are the latest odds from the Draft Kings Sportsbook for the uniform Ohtani will wear in August.
Shohei Ohtani’s next team odds |
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Los Angeles Angels -170 |
Los Angeles Dodgers +800 |
San Francisco Giants +900 |
Any other team +1000 |
Atlanta Braves +1100 |
New York Yankees +1400 |
Baltimore Orioles +1500 |
New York Mets +1800 |
Tampa Bay Rays +2200 |
Philadelphia Phillies +2500 |
Boston Red Sox +2500 |
Toronto Blue Jays +2500 |
Perhaps the Angels will just keep him in hopes of keeping Ohtani or making the playoffs. It’s hard to justify replacing one of the greatest players in baseball history, but Ohtani continues to thrive on the pitch.
Also, trading Ohtani for two months may not bring as strong a trade pack as his star power suggests. He’s almost guaranteed to prove his worth on the open market. In the event of a replacement, two clear favorites emerged as the winners of Ohtani’s competition. Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants.
Rumor has it that both teams were working to acquire Ohtani when he first started in the winter of 2017. The Dodgers have big money and have always been interested in star hunting. After failing to pursue Aaron Judge and breaking Carlos Correa’s contract due to a physical failure, the Giants continue to search for the face of the franchise.
Los Angeles and San Francisco have two of the most successful franchises in the last 15+ years, which could help keep Ohtani in one city for the long term.