Amid speculation that Shohei Ohtani is in his final season with the Los Angeles Angels, no team has been more heavily linked to the two-way star than the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers are viewed as a top contender to sign Shohei Ohtani to a record contract in free agency. With the 2023 MLB trade deadline looming, the Dodgers arguably are the most logical trade partner for the Angels if they decide to move the best player in baseball.

It remains to be seen if Angels owner Arte Moreno would actually pull the trigger on a Shohei Ohtani trade with the Dodgers or any other team. The Angels are in striking distance of a wild-card spot. As long as the Angels are not completely out of contention, Moreno seemingly has little appetite to be the man who willingly gives up the modern-day Babe Ruth.

In order to acquire Ohtani before the 2023 trade deadline, the Dodgers would almost certainly have to part with a haul of highly touted young players. The Angels' asking price likely starts with multiple top-100 prospects, according to MLB Network's Jon Morosi. It's a lofty offer for a player who could become a two-month rental, but one that the Dodgers should seriously consider making.

Let's take a look at three reasons why a Shohei Ohtani trade would be worth an insane prospect package for the Dodgers.

3. The Dodgers can afford to give up top prospects

For some teams, giving up even two of their top prospects would decimate the farm system. The Dodgers don't fall into that category. Los Angeles has done such a great job of collecting minor-league talent that its farm system would arguably still be among MLB's best after trading a slew of prospects for Ohtani.

The Dodgers have eight top-100 prospects, according to the latest rankings by MLB Pipeline. That's an insane amount of depth in the farm system. Let's say the Dodgers traded No. 19 Diego Cartaya, No. 47 Dalton Rushing and No. 73 Emmet Sheehan. They would still have five top-100 prospects and three ranked in the top-54. Cartaya and Rushing are catchers, and therefore expendable, given that Dodgers catcher Will Smith might be the best player at his position in the majors.

Year after year, the Dodgers develop draft picks into MLB starters. It probably wouldn't be long before a few more Los Angeles minor-leaguers crack the top 100.

2. Shohei Ohtani wouldn't be a true rental for the Dodgers

The danger in trading for Ohtani is that he can leave for another team in free agency. A financially strapped team like the Tampa Bay Rays, for instance, would almost certainly lose Ohtani after the 2023 season. The same might be true for the New York Yankees, given Ohtani's preference for the West Coast. For the Dodgers, acquiring Ohtani would be a chance to sell the best player in baseball on committing to the organization for the next decade.

The Dodgers have the payroll flexibility to match just about any offer made to Ohtani in free agency. With no playoff appearances during his Angels career, Ohtani is expected to prioritize winning in pursuit of a new deal. What better way to show Ohtani that he can win with the Dodgers than by making him part of a championship team this year? Trading for Ohtani would give the Dodgers a key edge over the New York Mets and San Francisco Giants, which might pursue Ohtani with contract offers that exceed a half-billion dollars.

1. The Dodgers have to close the gap with the Atlanta Braves

Barring a significant trade deadline addition, the 2023 MLB playoffs could mark the first time in seven years that the Dodgers don't enter the postseason as the National League favorites. After winning 64.6% of their games from 2017-2022 (a 105-win pace), the Dodgers are on pace for a 94-win campaign. The Atlanta Braves have established themselves as the team to beat in the NL, on pace for 105 victories with a plus-143 run differential.

The Dodgers have the second-best offense in the NL, trailing only the Braves in runs scored and home runs. Adding Ohtani to the lineup while he chases Aaron Judge's mark of 62 home runs could give Los Angeles the best lineup in the league. Amid injuries to their starters, the Dodgers' 4.40 ERA ranks ninth in the NL. Ohtani would be a candidate to be a front-end starter in a playoff series. He could match up with one of Atlanta's starters in a potential NLCS meeting. The Braves' 3.78 ERA ranks second in the league.

The Dodgers' goal each season is to win the World Series. Adding Ohtani to the roster would increase Los Angeles' chances of doing so by a non-insignificant amount.