As the dog days of summer roll on, divisional races have been heating up as the next important MLB milestone approaches: the trade deadline. There are numerous teams in the mix to be buyers at the end of the month, which could make for some mind-blowing transactions. I briefly touched on the White Sox’ Tim Anderson last week as a top potential trade candidate. However, there is quite obviously no bigger candidate across the MLB than THE Shohei Ohtani.
Ohtani being dealt would rock baseball to its core like has never been seen before. At this time, it sounds like he is probably slightly favored to stay in Los Angeles rather than be moved, but it is still very much up in the air. A number of factors would depend on where he ultimately could end up, including teams that are looking to upgrade and in contention, available pieces to be dealt, and almost certainly a big-market team landing as the frontrunner.
The Ohtani situation is so intriguing and like nothing that has been witnessed in baseball’s history. If he is traded, it could top the haul the Yankees stole from the Red Sox back on January 5th, 1920, for the Great Bambino himself. There hasn’t been a situation that has deserved our attention like this in recent memory, and it’s not particularly close. Therefore, I am changing the tune this week and permitting this week’s depth chart review to be based solely on potential hypothetical outcomes for teams were Shotime to land there.
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Depth Chart Review: The Ohtani Effect
New York Yankees
The Yankees, by default, will always be at the top of the list when it comes to acquiring high-end pieces throughout the course of a season. Brian Cashman is one of the most hated men in the Big Apple right now, and swinging a deal for the biggest name in the MLB could just be his saving grace. Despite New York’s continued struggles to win games and compete in their division, they do have the pieces to potentially make history. Recent reports do entail that the Yankees could look to aggressively pursue this avenue.
New York’s top prospect Jasson Dominguez, could be enough for Perry Minasian to indulge in a conversation with Cashman, not to mention other names that could be moved from the Bronx, such as Everson Pereira, Trey Sweeney, and Roderick Arias. For New York, it would be an opportunity to pair Ohtani with Aaron Judge in what would be the scariest duo across the league and possibly in the history of the sport.
New York’s depth chart would thrive for the remainder of the season with an Ohtani acquisition. Aaron Boone would have the option to play Shotime in the outfield, relegating Giancarlo Stanton to DH, as the team would surely prefer. He would also form a formidable pitching trio alongside Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon. In Los Angeles, young outfielders such as Mickey Moniak and Jo Adell would finally get full-time opportunities to showcase their talents as potential future answers.
Los Angeles Dodgers
From one LA to the next, the Dodgers are an obvious choice and landing spot for the Japanese slugger. A team that wins lots of games annually, it would be a perfect fit for both sides. Ohtani wouldn’t have to move far, and the Dodgers would immediately become the World Series favorites once again. They surprisingly have the pieces to at least be in contention here.
Some names that come to mind in a potential blockbuster would revolve around the recently demoted Miguel Vargas, young gun Bobby Miller, outfielder James Outman, and top future prospects a la Diego Cartaya and Andy Pages.
With numerous MLB-ready-level talents, a theoretical trade here would shake up the Angels’ depth chart substantially. Miguel Vargas and Outman would both become immediate everyday players relegating guys like Mike Moustakas back to oblivion. Bobby Miller would also quickly become the ace of the underwhelming Angels’ staff. Ohtani as a Dodger would almost certainly fill the void that David Peralta and Jason Heyward have been occupying for much of the first half.
Boston Red Sox
This one seems to be a bit of a pipe dream, but as a Boston diehard, I simply had to include it. Believe it or not, the Red Sox might have the overall best selection of prospects to be able to hand over in an Ohtani deal. The front office has quietly rebirthed one of the best farm systems in the league over the past few years, leaving them a plethora of options that could be dangled as trade options.
The Angels would not be able to leave the phone down if names like Marcelo Mayer, Brayan Bello, Ceddanne Rafaela, Miguel Bleis, Roman Anthony, or Mikey Romero were to arise. As a matter of fact, if Perry Minasian had the choice to pick which team he wanted to trade Ohtani to, he’d probably be hard-pressed not to pick Boston and all of that young upside off the bat.
The real issue for Boston is that they simply refuse to spend big money and are in the midst of a strange half-rebuild, despite their 51-44 record and chance at the playoffs this season. Also, there would be doubts that Ohtani would sign a long-term deal in Beantown following the campaign. Just let me dream, alright?
Were some hypothetical fireworks to fly in a grand blockbuster in this fashion, the Sox would finally have a true number three power hitter and staple in their pitiful rotation. The Angels, in theory, would acquire another potential number one starter in Brayan Bello and would have a plethora of young talent that could eventually solidify their own west coast rebuild.
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