As arguably the greatest player MLB has ever seen, Shohei Ohtani is a major topic of discussion everywhere he goes. With just months to go before the Los Angeles Angels superstar enters free agency, baseball trade rumors are heating up in league circles. Naturally, Ohtani is at the center of these talks.
Looking at the AL playoff picture, the Angels are rapidly slipping as others hunt for October, and even though there’s been no proof of the front office being willing to discuss an Ohtani trade, the rumors won’t go away any time soon.
There has been no indication that the Angels will be able to work out a long-term extension with the two-way superstar this offseason. Despite being viewed as a potential rental, the idea of trading him for a massive trade haul could grow more appealing to an organization that hasn’t played a game of postseason baseball since 2014.
If so, MLB insider Jon Heyman keeps coming back to the New York Yankees. He notes they’ve been interested in the past while indicating some of the pieces the Angels may have had an interest in have since been traded elsewhere.
Yet, the Yankees could get more aggressive, sweetening their offer if they feel confident in their ability to ink Ohtani to a long-term extension in free agency. Trading for him now could give the organization a chance to make a strong impression on the former AL MVP, even if it means parting with valuable prospects.
From there, if the Yankees do manage to land the biggest name on MLB’s trade block, Heyman speculates the power-hitting fireball-thrower could reel in as much as $600 million in what would reset the market of highest-paid players in baseball. On pace to win his second MVP award, it’s hard to suggest Ohtani’s worth anything less.
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