Dodgers Rumors: MLB Writer Predicts Massive Shohei Ohtani Trade to LAD from Angels
The World Series is set to get underway later this week, but for the Dodgers, it’ll mark week two of offseason talk and rumors. Certainly, that’s not where the LA brain trust planned on being at this time of the month, but here we are.
With an early playoff exit comes a whole mess of questions and headlines.
Where did things go wrong?
Should the manager be fired?
How many free agents can Andrew Friedman sign this offseason?
‘Tis the season for the reactionary. ‘Tis also the season for wild speculation!
Here at Dodgers Nation, we enjoy taking a look around the internet and finding interesting things for people like you to read and think about. The hope is to hit news and conversation starters — you know, baseball talk for you and the gang at the bar on a thirsty Thursday night… by the way, check out our bar guide while we’re on the subject.
In the spirit of interesting things and ideas, recently over at Bleacher Report, MLB columnist Joel Reuter took on the task of predicting one trade for every team around the league this offseason. For the Dodgers, Reuter came out swinging.
Surely you already know, thanks to the headline of this article, but we’re talking about a Shohei Ohtani trade from the Angels to Los Angeles. The real Los Angeles.
Here’s the proposed trade package.
To LAD: RHP/DH Shohei Ohtani
To LAA: RHP Dustin May, C Diego Cartaya, 2B Michael Busch, RHP Gavin Stone, OF Andy Pages, OF James Outman
This package would be a franchise-altering deal for both sides, with the Angels getting six players with top-100 prospect value or thereabouts and the Dodgers plugging a hole in their rotation and further bolstering an already potent lineup.
Now, depending on what type of Dodger fan you are, you’re either salivating at that proposal or absolutely shelled by the idea of trading away so many intriguing prospects.
To save a few lines of dialogue here, this trade would absolutely never happen. One partially established big league starter and only five prospects (two of which are in the MLB Pipeline top-100)? That would be an absolute steal of a deal for the Dodgers and would likely have Angels fan(s) storming the gates at 2000 E. Gene Autry Way.
In truth, Shohei Ohtani is one of those players that’s almost untradeable he’s so good. A deal or proper value for Anaheim would look like a fire sale for any club swinging the deal on the other side. And for the Angels, there’s also an additional factor that Ohtani is just about the only player in Anaheim that puts butts in the seats.
No disrespect to Mike Trout.
If the Dodgers could swing that deal above, they should do it in a heartbeat. The former MVP and two-time All-Star is under contract for the 2023 season at $30 million before becoming a free agent for the first time. A true free agent.
If the Dodgers choose patience, they could just wait one more year and hope for the best with all of those prospects in tow.
What are your thoughts on an Ohtani trade? What does your trade package look like? Chime in down in the comments below.
Final Thought
I guess it’s unfair to question the proposed package and not offer up one myself. For that, I’m going to go wildly outside the box.
Angels get: Dustin May, Gavin Lux, Edwin Rios, Bobby Miller, Diego Cartaya, Landon Knack, Miguel Vargas, Andy Pages, James Outman, Jorbit Vivas.
Dodgers get: Shohei Ohtani, Anthony Rendon + $18 million per season for the rest of Rendon’s contract (through 2026).
The reasoning: The Dodgers need a roster shake-up. Andrew Friedman loves big-time blockbusters during the offseason. There’s a glaring need for a higher quality option at third base for the next few seasons. Whether that means Justin Turner’s 2023 option will be picked up or not isn’t overly important here. (Also, it will be). JT is on the wrong side of 35 and is better suited as a part time player who will see some time around the infield at 3B, 2B, and DH on days when Ohtani starts.
The trade above also sends Gavin Lux to Orange County, opening up second for Max Muncy and Chris Taylor. And, finally, Anthony Rendon is seemingly healthy again for the first time in quite some time and should have a full, normal offseason regimen heading into this winter.
Is it a good trade package? Who knows! I said out of the box.
Have at it.
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Ohtani will never be a Dodger. Will be a massive overpay.
A lot for 1 year control then you are just another bidder after ’23. Why not wait another year and be in the same position and have your players too.
The second one, bringing in Rendon who has been just as injury prone as Trout has more problems. Rendon has full no trade clause in the contract. If he didn’t want to go to the Dodgers in 2020 why would he go now? He might if Trea was signed, they were the left side infield combo in Washington and were very tight. But who knows the story on Trea? Don’t put Gavin in any trade, he is a 300 average middle infielder under team control, that is valuable.
To make that deal you absolutely have to have a trade & sign agreement in place with Ohtani! Lux has never hit .300 in the big leagues. Trading him doesn’t bother me, but nervous about Outman & Cartaya. But, it’s time for Dodgers to do something different
I agree with you too much for 1 year control. Plus these young lads will be on the roster next year. Offer belliger, JT and for sure mays then bring up miller…let one youngster go…
Offer Bellinger?
Bwahahahahaha
Ohtani will never be a Dodger. Way overpriced and not worth gutting the farm or breaking the bank.
If I were Andrew Friedman, I’d be LMAO at the trade proposal. In 2 two years Bobby Miller will be the ace of Dodgers rotation, Cartaya and Outman combined will hit more home runs than Ohtani. And you want to add Landon Knack, Miguel Vargas (Dodgers minor league player of the year), and the hottest hitter down the stretch in Andy Pages?
Ohtani is injury prone, any little arm or elbow issue he’s done for at least half of the season, and he can walk in one year. Ohtani has been with the Angels since 2018, for five years (one year on IL) he has played with the best player in baseball, Mike Trout, and other stars in Rendon and Syndergaard, etc. With all the great players he’s played with, he couldn’t even take the Angels to the playoffs, what makes anyone think he can take the Dodgers to the World Series? Ain’t gonna happen.
Healthy for the last two years.
Great thing your not a GM I wouldn’t let you within 500 feet of Dodgers stadium. Lay off the drugs.
this is dumb, Syndergaard isn’t the reason the Phillies are in the playoffs, he is still trying to come back and has not regained his old velocity. Rendon has been out almost all year each of the last two seasons, Trout missed a chunk of this year and almost all of last and you blame Ohtani for not making the Playoffs????
I thought he had a no trade clause in his extension?
Hey I’ve been a Dodger my whole life. What is wrong with Chris Taylor? I mean Bellinger too? If they can’t produce send them out to pasture. They shoulda kept Kiki, he was my boy, Mr. Hustle!. Bellinger was complaining not getting into games, why to see him strike out ten more times? He’s such a great center fielder and should win a Golden Glove for center. But is his problem at the plate, and why can’t hitting coaches help these guys from striking out so much? What do these coaches do besides sitting in the dugout looking pretty? These Dodgers don’t need anything except getting off their rear ends and shaping up and do what they are suppose to do—-HIT!!
Otani would compliment the Dodger’s history of featuring Japanese players but that’s all. He is obviously very good, but may disrupt what I think is a well balanced Dodger team. We don’t need him, or DeGrom, or Aaron Judge.
Diego Cartaya and Miguel Vargas, N O ! Substitute Ryan Pepiot for Miller and go with that. Maybe even throw in Austin Barnes as a freebee.Giving up Lux is entirely dependent on whether they can resign Trea Turner. If it doesn’t look like they can. they need to keep Lux to play short. Taylor could play short but the Dodgers can’t afford his unsustainable strike out rate Pepiot does not have the qualities to be a starter and walks too many to be a prime reliever. The Angels need any arm that may show promise and the Dodgers don’t need him. especially with Ohtani coming in trade. Guess we will just have to see on this one…
Include Dave Roberts in the trade going to the Angels and I’m all for it…
you replace Rendon with Mike Trout, then yeah, that trade would make more sense.
Get starting pitchers. Fix that problem right away
..
No. Sign Arenado and go from there. Muncy can play 3rd, 2nd and 1st when necessary. And of course sign Trea.
No way man! Too much talent for Ohtani when he’ll be a free agent the following year. He could end up somewhere else. Then we lose him and all of our prospects
You say only 2 top 100 prospects, but I see 4. Cartaya #8, Busch #42, Pages #66, and Stone #77. Plus Outman on the fringe. Might want to check once in awhile
Clearly you are a Giant’s and Padres fan!