The Los Angeles Angels are uncertain about which direction they will take with the upcoming trade deadline, but that has not stopped contending teams from calling about the availability of Shohei Ohtani. The Baltimore Orioles and Arizona Diamondbacks have contacted the Angels according to MLB Network’s Jon Morosi. Morosi had the following to say about the inquiries.
Both clubs’ interest has been described as due diligence; both teams have the young talent base conducive to making a trade.
Jon Morosi on Shohei Ohtani rumors
This does seem to be the early stages of a potential deal involving Shohei Ohtani. It is wise to get the conversations started now with the deadline being a week away. Any potential deal of Ohtani will be quite complex and have a lot of moving parts. As Morosi notes, both Arizona and Baltimore do have pieces that could be used in a trade to land Ohtani. Either team landing Ohtani would have a tremendous impact on their postseason chances and could solidify them as the favorite to win their respective division.
So far a trade of Shohei Ohtani is still considered unlikely. However fielding trade inquires about a player who could walk in free agency is the right path to take. The uncertainty of Ohtani’s future in Los Angeles does seem to be very murky. If the Angels are able to get a valuable return for someone they are not confident in re-signing they must seriously consider any and all offers. It may not be popular, but is just the unfortunate circumstances the Angels have found themselves in. A delicate balance is required in walking this line and one misstep can have catastrophic consequences.
