Los Angeles Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani remains the biggest potential trade chip entering the MLB’s Aug. 1 deadline.
An impending unrestricted free agent this winter, Ohtani likely will be playing in a new uniform next season. But it could happen earlier as the Angels (46-48) currently are six games back of a wild-card spot and could move the superstar.
If he’s traded, one of the Giants’ rivals reportedly won’t be acquiring him at the deadline.
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“I would put it closer to 25 percent that he could be traded from the Angels. Would they trade him to the Dodgers? No,” MLB insider Jon Heyman reported Monday, citing sources, on the Bleacher Report app.
“I spoke with somebody with the Dodgers. They realized he’s not getting traded to the Dodgers. Even if you think that he could sign long-term with the Dodgers, [Angels owner] Arte Moreno is not going to do that. He may ultimately trade him, but I do not see him being traded to the Dodgers.”
The Angels recently told other teams they will listen to offers for Ohtani. MLB Network’s Jon Morosi reported last week, citing sources, that Los Angeles is expecting multiple top-100 prospects in return to even begin trade talks surrounding Ohtani.
San Francisco Giants
The Giants boast four top-100 prospects per MLB Pipeline -- left-handed pitcher Kyle Harrison (No. 11 overall), shortstop Marco Luciano (No. 15), outfielder Luis Matos (No. 68) and lefty Carson Whisenhunt (No. 95). Baseball America’s top-100 list includes those same four Giants prospects in a different order -- Harrison (No. 20), Matos (No. 26), Luciano (No. 63) and Whisenhunt (No. 92).
It appears an Ohtani trade would cost at least two of those coveted San Francisco prospects.
The good news for Giants fans? Even if the team doesn’t trade for an Ohtani rental, San Francisco still is very much in the mix to land the two-way phenom in free agency. But Heyman estimates the Giants will be battling some division rivals for his services.
“Long-term, I do believe the Dodgers have an excellent chance [to land Ohtani], as do a lot of teams on the West Coast -- San Francisco, San Diego,” Heyman said. “They’ll all be in there pitching [him to sign]. It’ll be interesting in free agency.”