The Seattle Mariners snapped their postseason drought last year. In 2023, Seattle entered the campaign with lofty expectations. They have underperformed for the most part though, currently holding a 45-44 record. Nevertheless, they are still in the AL West division and AL Wild Card races. Barring a complete collapse over the next couple of weeks, the Mariners will likely be buyers ahead of the MLB trade deadline. Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels will be on their radar assuming Seattle does buy.

The Angels were in the mix in the AL West throughout most of the 2023 season's first-half. The team fell off prior to the All-Star break, however, causing many to wonder if Ohtani will be made available ahead of the deadline. The Halos aren't far behind the Mariners and could still end up buying. It all depends on how they perform prior to the deadline. The Angels reportedly don't want to trade Ohtani, but they will begin to receive phone calls if their slide continues.

Let's take a look at the perfect trade the Mariners must offer the Angels for Shohei Ohtani.

Mariners-Angels Shohei Ohtani trade

Since Ohtani is scheduled to hit free agency following the 2023 season, potential trade suitors won't have to surrender as much trade capital. Teams will only be trading for a few months of Ohtani barring an extension. The advantage that a team would automatically get if they were to acquire Ohtani prior to the trade deadline is that they could begin contract extension negotiations.

Nevertheless, trading for Shohei Ohtani is risky. Although they wouldn't need to surrender as much capital as previously expected, Ohtani would still deliver quite the trade package for the Angels. The two-way phenom is doing things never seen before on the diamond, so the Angels won't deal him away unless the price is fair.

Seattle features an intriguing farm system. Catcher Harry Ford is their top prospect, per MLB.com. He could headline the trade, but the Angels do already have Logan O'Hoppe, another top-tier catching prospect, on the roster. Shortstop Cole Young is the Mariners' No. 2 overall prospect. However, the Angels need pitching depth. As a result, Seattle's No. 3 overall prospect Bryan Woo will headline this trade.

The perfect trade will cost the Mariners three of their top 10 prospects. Woo, RHP Emerson Hancock (No. 5) and 3B/1B Tyler Locklear (No. 9) will also be included in the deal. Since this is Ohtani we are talking about, two more prospects will also need to be included. Here's how the final trade may end up looking.

Seattle's mock trade offer for Ohtani

Angels receive: RHP Bryan Woo (Mariners' No. 3 prospect), RHP Emerson Hancock (Mariners' No. 5 prospect), 1B/3B Tyler Locklear (Mariners' No. 9 prospect), OF Cade Marlowe (Mariners' No. 15 prospect), LHP Juan Pinto (Mariners' No. 18 prospect)

Mariners receive: RHP/DH Shohei Ohtani

Woo and Hancock are both under 25-years old and feature high-ceilings. Both pitchers could play a crucial role in the Angels' rotation down the road. Los Angeles' pitching has taken steps forward, but they still would benefit from acquiring future stars on the mound.

Locklear is only 22-years old and offers defensive versatility. He's still a year or two away from being big league ready, but he's a solid player and a potential X-Factor in this deal. Marlowe, an outfielder, is already 26. That said, he's ready for the show and possesses a combination of speed/power. Finally, Pinto is an 18-year old left-handed arm who could prove to be a steal.

Meanwhile, there isn't much to say that hasn't already been said about the Mariners' trade return here. Shohei Ohtani is the best all-around player in the game given his pitching and offensive prowess. He's the kind of player who can completely change the dynamic of an organization. The Angels have remained relevant from a national standpoint primarily due to Ohtani and Mike Trout.

Again, trading for Ohtani will be a risky move since Seattle may give up quite a bit of prospect capital for a player who could leave in free agency. Even if he departs though, Seattle gets to hold onto their top two prospects in this projected trade. The ideal situation would be for them to sign Ohtani to a contact extension before he even hits the open market.

It will be interesting to see if the Mariners are able to acquire Ohtani. Perhaps playing the All-Star Game in Seattle made Ohtani consider a move to T-Mobile Park, as the atmosphere was electric to say the least. In the end, though, the Mariners will face no shortage of competition in trying to add Shohei Ohtani.