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As the MLB trade deadline approaches, the Los Angeles Angels and Shohei Ohtani will continue to be involved in blockbuster trade rumors. Ohtani is the best player in baseball and is on a trajectory towards becoming the greatest player to ever live; although the Angels certainly don't want to trade him, they might just have to. They are currently looking like a long-shot for both the division and a wild card spot, and Ohtani is set to be a free agent this summer. The likelihood that he leaves is pretty high given the money he will be able to attract from bigger markets, so the Angels pretty much need to do whatever they can right now to get some value out of him. Since this season looks like another lost one in Anaheim, the Angels should really consider trying to trade Shohei Ohtani and net a massive haul of assets in return. This is why ESPN put together a bunch of hypothetical blockbuster trades for Ohtani, including one that would send him to the New York Yankees. Naturally, it is time to grade this trade that sends Ohtani to The Bronx.
The Yankees are one of the favorites to land Shohei Ohtani in MLB free agency this summer, so trading for him now would essentially be their way of showing him what he is going to get. The Yankees are also falling out of playoff contention like the Angels, but they can afford to take a massive risk by trading pretty much all they have for Ohtani; their status as a massive market allows them to opt into fighting for the postseason year after year. It would come as no surprise if calls are already being had between the Yankees and Angels surrounding Shohei Ohtani. Whether or not a trade gets done will remain to be seen, but expect the rumors to only get hotter and heavier. Without further ado, here is the grade for a hypothetical Shohei Ohtani blockbuster trade between the Angels and Yankees.
*Trade via ESPN
Yankees trade for Shohei Ohtani
Proposed deal: CF Everson Pereira, SS Trey Sweeney, RHP Chase Hampton, RHP Drew Thorpe, 2B Jared Serna
Grade: B +
This trade was proposed by ESPN analyst Kiley McDaniel, and here is what he had to say about it.
“I prioritized including multiple prospects who could be on a top 100 list this winter or next rather than just one top player and skewing most of the value toward (1) position players and (2) being in Double-A now or soon. Pereira (power-over-hit outfield tweener) and Sweeney (hit-over-power lefty-hitting shortstop) are probably both in the back half of the top 100 right now. Hampton and Thorpe are arrow-up starters with above-average stuff and enough feel to start, while Serna is a nice late-blooming power/speed performer.”
Overall, it is a very intriguing offer, however it does not reach A status for a few reasons. The major reason is that the Yankees would be netting Shohei Ohtani, the best player in baseball; if they want to pull off such a deal, they need to go above and beyond, and this deal is not that. McDaniel talks about all of these prospects in terms of their potential and what they could eventually bring to the Angels on a big league diamond. If the Angels are going to trade Ohtani, then they need to be getting guys who can produce right away and potentially turn into stars themselves.
The Angels would probably consider a deal with the Yankees if they included top prospects like Jasson Dominguez or Spencer Jones. These are players who could make an immediate impact on the field for the Angels within the next calendar year, which is a huge factor given the Angels are still going to try and win now even if they do trade Shohei Ohtani. It doesn't look like Mike Trout will be leaving the Angels anytime soon and the Angels undoubtedly want to try and be as competitive as possible as long as he is still in his prime. The hypothetical trade proposed by ESPN doesn't give the Angels the leverage they could use into turning themselves into a contender right away by way of trading Ohtani.
Although a trade between the Yankees and Angels could definitely happen over the next few weeks, this hypothetical blockbuster for Shohei Ohtani would not get the deal done. It deserves a B+ grade because it is a decent haul of assets, but the Angels would need potential star power in return. Overall, the Yankees would have to go back to the drawing board if they wanted to propose a trade offer that would actually land Ohtani.
