With just over a week to go before the Major League Baseball trade deadline next month, there are some surprising suitors for Los Angeles Angels second baseman Shohei Ohtani, 29.
Major League Baseball reporter John Morosi took to social media on Monday (July 25) to announce the new teams that have joined the Otani trade. The Baltimore Orioles and Arizona Diamondbacks are the main players.
Baltimore and Arizona have both had outstanding seasons this year, boosting their chances of making the postseason.
The Baltimore Orioles are interested in trading Ohtani.
In the American League East, Baltimore is at the top of the division, having beaten the Tampa Bay Rays, New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, and 토토사이트 Toronto Blue Jays. Arizona has a similar story, losing the top spot to the Los Angeles Dodgers but holding off the likes of the San Francisco Giants and San Diego Padres for second place in the division.
Both teams are desperate to make the postseason. Baltimore’s last postseason appearance was in 2016, when Hyun Soo Kim (35-LG Twins) was playing, and it’s been six seasons since they’ve played fall ball. Similarly, Arizona’s last time was in 2017. Both teams are hungry for the postseason after such a long time.
Both Baltimore and Arizona are looking to bolster their rosters and drive a wedge into the postseason with certainty. That’s why they’re in the market for a trade, and why they’re interested in trading Ohtani, who could help them in both the bullpen and at the plate.
According to Morosi, “Baltimore and Arizona have inquired with the Angels about the possibility of trading Ohtani. Both teams have young prospects (that the Angels would like) that would be helpful in a trade.”
It’s definitely a change of pace. While big clubs such as the Dodgers and Yankees have been linked to a trade for Ohtani in the past, this is the first time Baltimore and Arizona have been mentioned.
Meanwhile, the Angels have a 9.6 percent chance of making the postseason, according to Baseball Reference. The Angels could wait until the trade deadline to make a move if they decide they don’t think they can make it to fall ball.
According to ESPN’s Buster Olney, “If the Angels are allowed to trade Ohtani, it will be to a team unrelated to them.” The Los Angeles area rivals, the Dodgers and the Texas Rangers in the American League West, are reportedly unlikely to be traded.
Baltimore and Arizona are also in the mix for Ohtani. Will Ohtani stay with the Angels or will he be wearing a new uniform?
