Shohei Ohtani Rumors: Dodgers Analyst Believes LA Should Pass on Two-Way Star
The trade deadline is just 11 short days away, and the Dodgers are sure to be one of the teams to watch as they try to bolster their roster ahead of the stretch run.
One of the names that’s been connected to the team over the past few weeks is one of the biggest in all of sports in Angels two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani. Could the Dodgers conceivably acquire arguably the most talented player in baseball history at the deadline? Yes.
But the question of if they should pull the trigger on an Ohtani trade is another question, and Houston Mitchell of the Los Angeles Times believes that they should hold off on that pursuit for now.
“Should the Dodgers trade for Ohtani?
Via LA Times.
My conclusion is no.”
Mitchell went on a deep dive to explain his case, and the main sticking points behind it are that the Dodgers would simply have to give up way too much in order to acquire the impending free agent. And, it’s worth noting that there’s not an open roster spot for him offensively.
Now that may seem ludicrous given that the Dodgers would hypothetically be getting one of the best players of all time, but Ohtani has played exclusively at DH since he arrived in MLB. LA’s DH spot has been filled by J.D. Martinez this season, and he’s been one of the best in the majors this year, with a .256 average, 23 home runs, and 66 RBI in 2023, production good enough to earn an All-Star nod.
If the Dodgers were to move Martinez out of the DH role in the event of an Ohtani deal, there would be no other place to put him, leaving the team with quite the unnecessary conundrum to figure out in a short three months.
Another factor in the equation is that Ohtani will be a free agent after this season, and the Dodgers are one of the top contenders to sign him this winter.
The team has quite a formidable roster already and they have the luxury to be able to potentially wait on him. Losing a significant portion of the farm system — and potentially more — for a few months with Ohtani, seems rather pointless and would be an incredible price to pay.
You can read more of what Mitchell had to say here, but ultimately I agree with him that the Dodgers should pump the brakes on an Ohtani pursuit this August.
The much more prudent course of action would be for them to try to sign him this winter. LA would have a good chance of getting Ohtani’s signature without having to part with many valuable pieces in the process.
Photo Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
