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Ranking the top 3 trade partners for Shohei Ohtani

By Zachary Rotman |
Oct 5, 2022; Oakland, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani (17) flips
Oct 5, 2022; Oakland, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani (17) flips / D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports
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With Los Angeles Angels owner Arte Moreno expressing an interest in selling the team, a Shohei Ohtani trade seems to be inevitable.

Ohtani will be a free agent after the 2023 season and with the Angels likely not competing, the chances of them retaining the Japanese superstar are pretty slim.

All 29 other teams will be calling the Angels to hear the price for an Ohtani trade but the only teams that will likely trade for him are the ones who can afford to extend him as the package that would be required to land him is too much for a one-year commitment.

3) Ranking the potential Ohtani trade partners: Los Angeles Dodgers

The crosstown rival Dodgers seem to be in the mix for every superstar that becomes available and I expect them to be very much in the mix with regard to Shohei Ohtani.

The Dodgers have everything that would make this trade work. They're a great team, they're willing to spend the money necessary to extend him, they have the assets required to land him, and they're in Los Angeles. If Ohtani wants to stay in LA but not on the Angels, the Dodgers are the obvious match.

The Dodgers just won 111 games and have a legitimate shot at winning another World Series title. They have an amazing team with a chance to improve it this off-season.

Guys like David Price, Craig Kimbrel, and Joey Gallo will be coming off of the Dodgers' books this offseason. With Trea Turner potentially not returning to Los Angeles, that opens up even more money for the Dodgers to spend on Ohtani.

The Dodgers have everything the Angels could want in a trade package. They have high-end prospects like Diego Cartaya, Bobby Miller, Miguel Vargas, and Michael Busch. All four of those prospects are ranked in the top 45 of mlb.com's prospect rankings with Cartaya ranked as the eighth best.

The Dodgers have seven total top 100 prospects, all of which are close to making it to the majors. They have without a doubt one of the deepest farm systems in all of baseball.

Los Angeles also has great young talent that is already on their roster. Guys like Dustin May and Gavin Lux who project as very good players down the line could be available in a trade.

The reason I have the Dodgers as the third-best team to make a trade with is the fact that they're the other team in Los Angeles. How willing will General Manager Perry Minasian and the new owner be to watch Ohtani potentially win championships with their cross-town rival?

2) Ranking the potential Ohtani trade partners: St. Louis Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals were in the hunt for Juan Soto at the trade deadline and almost landed the young superstar. They have a team that just won the NL Central and can definitely use a guy like Ohtani to bolster their team.

St. Louis was tied for fifth in all of baseball in runs scored this season but their pitching wasn't quite as formidable. The team lacked a true ace and Ohtani would fill that role perfectly. Plus, can you imagine a 2-3-4 of Goldschmidt, Ohtani, and Arenado?

The Cardinals have the pieces necessary to get a deal done. Jordan Walker is one of the most exciting prospects in baseball and is ranked 6th on mlb.com's top 100 list. Guys like Masyn Winn and Matthew Liberatore are also exciting pieces. St. Louis has six top 100 prospects they can dangle in a trade.

The Cardinals also have some young talent on their MLB roster. Nolan Gorman showed a lot of promise as a young second baseman with power. Dylan Carlson has been a regular in the Cardinals outfield for a couple of years now. Juan Yepez showed potential as a power bat.

I have two concerns with the Cardinals. One, as a smaller market team will they be willing to pay him? Soto had more team control so it was easier to justify a trade for him than it is for a player with just one year of control. Also, will Ohtani want to be in St. Louis long-term? Those are questions that remain to be seen.

On the baseball side, this seems like a great fit for the Angels and Cardinals.

1) Ranking the potential Ohtani trade partners: New York Mets

Like the Dodgers, the Mets seem to check every box. They have the money to extend him. They have the prospects necessary to land him. And lastly, they are a competitive team.

The Mets under Steve Cohen have proven they are willing to spend. They are coming off of an offseason where they signed stars like Max Scherzer and Starling Marte, and I assume they will be willing to spend even more this offseason after being bounced in the Wild Card Round.

With Jacob deGrom potentially departing, Ohtani can replace him as the team's ace. The Mets are a team that struggled in the power department so Ohtani can be a very useful bat for them as well.

The Mets have a very top-heavy farm system. They have the number one prospect on mlb.com's top 100 list in Francisco Alvarez. They also have guys like Brett Baty, Kevin Parada, and Alex Ramirez on the list. Just outside of the list, they have Mark Vientos and Ronny Mauricio.

The Mets do have young guys like Tylor Megill and David Peterson who have both shown promise as starting pitchers that they can include in a trade package as well.

New York's General Manager Billy Eppler is the one who signed Ohtani during his time with the Angels and they have a great connection.

The pieces seem to be in place for this to be a perfect match especially if deGrom walks.

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