Is it too early to start talking about where Shohei Ohtani will play either later this year or in 2024?
Heck no!
As of writing this, the Los Angeles Angels are 9-9, which is a decent start to the season. But ESPN’s Jeff Passan spoke on Get Up! about what happens if things go south with the Angels: If they’re in contention, as he said, Ohtani might not be traded.
If he gets dealt? There are a few teams who could be interested. So we decided to put together a ranking of some of those squads and made up some hypothetical odds.
Let’s run through them:
"If the Angels fall out of contention … [Shohei Ohtani] could be traded and he will definitely leave."
—@JeffPassan pic.twitter.com/evk3nuye1o
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) April 20, 2023
5
San Francisco Giants (+1000)
(AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
We’re talking about teams with both intriguing assets and the room to pay Ohtani ALL the money.
The Giants have a middling farm system with names like left-handed pitcher Kyle Harrison to offer, but I just think there are teams with more to give and deeper pockets.
4
Seattle Mariners (+900)
(AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
This might require the Mariners to give away a lot of a young, contending team to get Ohtani. Which could be worth it! But is Seattle willing to put together a $500 million contract?
3
New York Yankees (+500)
(Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
Assets? Check.
Willingness to open the checkbook? LARGE check.
Why so low? I have some theories! Read on.
2
New York Mets (+450)
(Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)
I give a SLIGHT edge to the Mets because I could see Steve Cohen saying, “We’ll outbid the other guys by $75 million” and telling the front office to trade all the young Mets studs (Brett Baty and Francisco Alvarez to start).
1
Los Angeles Dodgers (+350)
Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports
So here’s a thought: What if Ohtani could stay on the West Coast, in the same city, for a contender that has no problem paying him. Is that ideal? Hence the odds!
