Two of baseball’s biggest surprise teams of 2023 are reportedly among those who have inquired on a a possible trade for Los Angeles Angels’ superstar Shohei Ohtani.
According to a report from MLB Network insider Jon Morosi, the AL East-leading Baltimore Orioles and the Arizona Diamondbacks are “among” the clubs who have spoken to the Angels regarding the “trade availability” for the 2021 American League MVP.
Morosi added that the Angels are still discussing their trade deadline strategy, and that they’ll likely wait until after this week’s slate of games to decide if they’ll entertain offers for the generational two-way talent.
Entering play on Monday, the Angels (51-49) were four games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for the AL’s final wild card spot. The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox (both 53-47) entered the week two games behind Toronto.
The 29-year-old Ohtani is a free agent after this season. Though his presence nets the Angels tens of millions of dollars in extra revenue (merchandise sales, advertising, ticket sales, etc.), it would be awfully difficult for owner Arte Moreno to stomach losing Ohtani for nothing in free agency this year.
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So the Angels, who haven’t qualified for the postseason since 2014, must decide if they want to hold onto Ohtani for a late season playoff push or acquire valuable assets to help kick-start a rebuild.
With the MLB trade deadline now just a week away, the Angels have to decide their course of action soon.
