Writer Picks Dodgers as Top Landing Spot for Shohei Ohtani If He’s Traded at Deadline

I don’t know if you know this, but Angels two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani is a free agent at the end of this season. I know, crazy.

Ohtani is going to enter free agency as one of the most highly sought after players in sports history, and will command a contract unlike anything we’ve ever seen before.

The Angels don’t appear to be one of the favorites to keep Ohtani, which is why, he’s found himself in trade rumors for the last year-plus. The Angels have made it clear they have no intention of trading him, however, if they fall out of the playoff race before the trade deadline, they may be left with no choice. And if that happens, Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report thinks the Dodgers would emerge as the top landing spot, and even created a potential trade proposal. He thinks the Dodgers could trade RHP Bobby Miller, OF Andy Pages, C Dalton Rushing and RHP Emmet Sheehan to the Angels for the two-way star. Here’s a part of what he had to say:

“There was reasonable hope early in the offseason that the Dodgers would get below the $233 million competitive balance tax threshold in order to reset that luxury tax clock and pay less in “overage charges,” if you will, in future seasons—ideally with Ohtani on the team starting in 2024. But if he becomes available at the trade deadline, the Dodgers cannot risk letting the Mets or Yankees swoop in and lock up him before he reaches free agency. They must swing big, offering up three top-100 prospects, as well as a sixth-round pick from two years ago who has pitched well thus far in the minors.”

Even though the Dodgers wouldn’t be trading for him with a guarantee of signing him long term, Miller argues that they can’t sit back and let another team get that half-season of Ohtani, because it could only help with trying to sign him to an extension. Ohtani’s trade value won’t be anywhere near where it was last year, due to the fact that he’d be a free agent in just a couple months. That’s why, Miller settled on this proposal.

Per MLB Pipeline, Miller is the Dodgers No. 2 overall prospect and top pitching prospect. Pages is the Dodgers No. 6 overall prospect, while Rushing is the team’s No. 7 prospect. Sheehan is the No. 14 prospect, but is rising up the ranks.

Four of the Dodgers’ top 15 prospects is still quite the haul, but for Ohtani, that’s what it’s going to take. Also, Pages and Rushing could have a tough time getting to the majors, due to the amount of talent ahead of them. Rushing is the Dodgers’ second-best catching prospect behind Diego Cartaya, and Will Smith isn’t going anywhere. Pages is one of the many outfielder prospects, and between him and Michael Busch, the Dodgers could look to move one of them.

As for Ohtani, I don’t think I have to say much to sell him. He’s the best player in baseball, and is going to be in contention to win a Silver Slugger, a Cy Young and, of course, the MVP this season. He’s two All-Stars in one, and seems to only be getting better as he plays in his age-29 season.

This year, he’s currently slashing .300/.404/.575 with three home runs and eight RBIs, and is also 2-0 with a 0.47 ERA and 0.95 WHIP in 19 innings. He’s just ridiculous.

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