Angels Rumors: Writer Thinks Halos Should Trade Shohei Ohtani to NL West Contender This Season
As we all watch Shohei Ohtani dominate the international game in the WBC this year, it is very hard for Angels fans to accept the reality that he may be on a different team next year. He is the best player in baseball right now, despite what Arte Moreno believes, and is set to draw interest from every contending franchise in the league.
He is looking to sign a contract that will break the bank along with many records and that begs the question: What owners will be willing to come up with such money and offer it to the 28-year-old superstar? To answer that, there is a certain man that resides just over 100 miles from Los Angeles that will definitely do so.
Peter Seidler, owner of the San Diego Padres, has been handing out long-term deals that are worth nine figure for the past few seasons and he has constructed them to ensure he can still keep doing this. They have been linked to Ohtani for quite some time and are listed as a favorite to add him to a roster that includes Manny Machado, Juan Soto, and more.
However, Bleacher Report's Zachary D. Rymer doesn't want them to wait until free agency to make a run for the 2021 AL MVP. In his latest wishlist for the blockbuster trades in the 2023 MLB season, he ranks an Ohtani move to San Diego as number one.
"The sooner the Padres move on Ohtani, the sooner he might slide in alongside Juan Soto, Manny Machado, Xander Bogaerts and Fernando Tatis Jr. to form a quintet that would have even the 1927 Yankees feeling shown up. If they had been teammates in, say, 2021, they would have combined for a 144 wRC+, 168 home runs and 77 stolen bases," said Rymer.
(Via Bleacher Report)
This trade would definitely be one of the largest ones that we've seen in MLB history and it will require the Angels to part ways with a slew of young talent and prospects. However, if the Padres were able to pull off this move, it would instantly make them the favorites to win the World Series this year and many years to come if they can retain him.
