The Los Angeles Dodgers have been linked to Shohei Ohtani since this past offseason. Ohtani, who's expected to test the free agent market if the Los Angeles Angels struggle once again in 2023, will draw no shortage of interest from teams around the league. Although the Dodgers will likely attempt to sign or even acquire Ohtani via trade, they are still focused on winning this season. Dodgers President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman addressed the team's mindset amid the Shohei Ohtani rumors, per Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register.
“I think we have shown consistently that we will do everything we can to put ourselves in the best position to win. Our ownership has backed that up at every turn,” Friedman said. “Obviously I wouldn’t get into specific players. But also – our mindset would never be, ‘Hey, let’s wait a year or two or three for this.' That would never be our mindset. We feel like we have the talent in this room to be a really, really good team.”
The Dodgers have hovered around the .500 mark so far during the 2023 campaign. They have dealt with inconsistency, with plenty of big moments but also a number of forgettable ones. In the end, though, LA's track record speaks for itself. The Dodgers are one of baseball's most respected franchises for a reason, and they are not planning on mailing it in despite the prospect of adding Shohei Ohtani.
Dodgers-Angels Shohei Ohtani trade?
In fact, one would imagine that possibly acquiring Ohtani may even motivate the Dodgers to perform better this season. If the Angels struggle and find themselves out of the playoff picture by July, they could opt to trade the two-way phenom. The Dodgers would love to be in the midst of a strong season in that scenario. Adding Shohei Ohtani ahead of the trade deadline would obviously boost their 2023 World Series odds.
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