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When Shohei Ohtani first came to the MLB, the San Diego Padres were one of the early teams to show interest. While Ohtani has gone on to become a star with the Los Angeles Angels, San Diego hasn't taken their eyes off of him. If given the opportunity, the Padres have even considered trading major league talent to acquire Ohtani.
Before the Angels shut down Ohtani trade talks, the Padres were lighting up Los Angeles' phone. They offered them numerous of their top prospects. But the Padres were also not afraid to include Blake Snell in a trade for Ohtani, via Dennis Lin of The Athletic.
With Los Angeles declining all Ohtani deals, the Padres eventually made a trade for former Washington Nationals slugger Juan Soto. The prospects used in that deal would've been involved in an Ohtani deal, Lin notes. But the Padres inclusion of Snell in a potential Ohtani trade shows how serious San Diego is about acquiring the two-way star.
Snell has been with the Padres for the past three seasons, making 68 starts. He holds a 20-23 record with a 3.59 ERA and a 462/166 K/BB ratio. He's a former Cy Young winner and a former All-Star.
However, for as good as Snell is, Shohei Ohtani has been historic. This season, he is batting .303 with 31 home runs and 68 RBI while holding a 7-3 record, 3.02 ERA and a 127/39 K/BB ratio.
The Padres understand just how much Ohtani would be for their franchise. While talks never came to fruition, Blake Snell could've been sent packing as Ohtani made his new home in San Diego.
