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If the Los Angeles Angels decide to move Shohei Ohtani ahead of the 2023 MLB trade deadline, the Chicago Cubs should seriously consider pursuing the two-way superstar. The Cubs have what it takes to make a competitive trade offer for Shohei Ohtani, and doing so could revitalize the franchise.
The Angels' stance that Ohtani won't be traded during the 2023 MLB season could be weakening. After being competitive in the AL West for the first three months of the season, Los Angeles fell below .500 at the All-Star break. Amid Mike Trout's injury that could sideline him for up to eight weeks, the Angels don't appear to be a legitimate World Series contender. The Cubs have three fewer wins than the Angels, but Chicago might have a better chance to win its division.
Los Angeles is in fourth place and seven games behind the first-place Texas Rangers. The Cubs are also seven games out of first place in their division. The Cincinnati Reds lead the NL Central, though there are signs that the team's luck will run out in the second half. Cincinnati has a minus-nine run differential. Chicago is actually the only NL Central team that owns a positive run differential, having outscored its opponents by 26 runs.
Would the addition of Ohtani help the Cubs catch the Reds and the second-place Milwaukee Brewers? Not necessarily. There's speculation that the Cubs could be sellers at the deadline. It also remains to be seen if the Angels will trade Ohtani. Understandably, Los Angeles has been hesitant to discuss giving up one of the most transcendent players in baseball history.
Unless the Angels come out of the All-Star break red hot, Ohtani trade rumors will persist until the trade deadline. The Cubs would be doing themselves and their fans a disservice by not exploring the possibility of acquiring the likely 2023 AL MVP.
Why the Cubs should trade for Shohei Ohtani
It's been seven years since the Cubs ended their 108-year championship drought. Chicago was the model MLB franchise from 2015-2018, making three NLCS appearances in addition to its World Series title. The half-decade that's followed has been an utter disappointment.
The Cubs are in the midst of their third straight losing season. They are likely about to miss the playoffs for the fourth straight full season (the Cubs made the playoffs in the 60-game 2020 season). Chicago last won a postseason game in 2017.
It's time that the Cubs end their rebuilding phase and start contending. The most popular team in the nation's third-largest market has the financial capabilities that should prohibit more than a handful of consecutive losing seasons. Chicago doesn't have a top-10 payroll in MLB. The Cubs should be in a position to offer Ohtani the largest contract in the history of American professional team sports, even if it means paying him more than $500 million.
A trade for Ohtani would help the Cubs in 2023 and, hopefully, beyond. The NL Central is weak enough that the addition of a frontend starting pitcher and the major-league home run leader could keep Chicago in the divisional trade through the end of the year. It would also give the Cubs a chance to sell Ohtani on the Windy City before he hits free agency.
The Cubs' best Shohei Ohtani trade offer to the Angels
It isn't easy to imagine what the Angels could demand for Ohtani, given the unique nature of a possible trade. The modern-day Babe Ruth, Ohtani would probably be the best player ever moved at the trade deadline. His impending free agency, however, will prevent the Angels from receiving a return that equals Ohtani's true value.
Let's take a look at last year's Juan Soto trade. The San Diego Padres gave up one of the biggest hauls in MLB history for Soto and Josh Bell. The Padres sent the Washington Nationals their top-four prospects, along with their No. 14 ranked prospect and Luke Voit. Soto was under team control for 2.5 years at the time. Ohtani is the better player, but unless he agrees to sign an extension with his new team at the trade deadline, the Angels might not receive the same kind of package that the Nationals landed.
If not the Cubs' four-best prospects, how about their top three? That would mean sending outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong, pitcher Cade Horton and pitcher Ben Brown to Los Angeles. Crow-Armstrong is the No. 8 prospect in all of baseball, according to MLB Pipeline. Horton is No. 47. Chicago can add minor-league outfielder Brennan Davis into the deal. Formerly the Cubs' top-ranked prospect, Davis has fallen to No. 7 because of injuries and a .198 batting average at Triple-A this year.
Let the Angels pick any other prospect outside of the Cubs' top-10 minor leaguers and Chicago should be more than willing to pull the trigger on a blockbuster trade.
