Jul 1, 2023; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) on deck before hitting against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the sixth inning at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
MLB: Arizona Diamondbacks at Los Angeles Angels
(New York, NY) – As Major League Baseball moves past its All-Star break, all eyes turn to Shohei Ohtani.
What happens next for the Los Angeles Angels’ transcendent two-way star? Will his powerful bat and explosive right arm be sent packing in a league-changing trade?
For now, speculation continues ahead of the August 1 trade deadline. But if the Angels do decide to trade the potential MVP (and impending free agent), one of MLB’s insiders thinks he knows where Ohtani could end up.
During an interview on ESPN, Buster Olney named three teams that will be interested in acquiring him. He listed the Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Rangers, and – most strongly – the Yankees.
Asked which teams will be involved in trade talks, Olney responded “Yankees, Yankees, Yankees.”
He referenced sources and said the Yankees’ front office is the most motivated by the concept of trading for Ohtani. Olney explains this is because players like Gerrit Cole, Aaron Judge, and Giancarlo Stanton are more-or-less “middle age” players in the prime of their career.
The Yankees’ “championship window” is open, and Ohtani would arguably push them over the top.
So if the Bronx Bombers “go for it” with the big trade, it would bring Ohtani’s dominant pitching to the front of the rotation, and he’d deposit plenty of long balls over the short RF porch at the stadium.
