It’s a day that ends in y, which means Shohei Ohtani trade scenarios are abound.
The question, of course, is whether it’s worth adding Ohtani midseason for what is likely to be — even on an expiring deal — a prodigious trade haul.
The Athletic’s Jim Bowden took aim at where Ohtani might end up if he is dealt at the deadline. And while the Angels have made clear they don’t want to trade their star, the fact that they’re 5.5 games back of the Wild Card suggests they might have to make a move to avoid loving him for free.
Bowden ranked the top 10(ish) suitors for Ohtani at the deadline, listing the Giants at seven.
The top 15 rankings were as follows:
- Rays
- Dodgers
- Mariners
- Rangers
- Yankees
- Braves
- Giants
- Orioles
- Padres
- Reds, Marlins, Diamondbacks, Guardians
His logic in having them so far back is that they’re likelier suitors for him this offseason, rather than clearing out their farm system and promising youth at the deadline:
The Giants have been trying to land a superstar player for years, including during last offseason, when they attempted to sign Aaron Judge and Carlos Correa. They’d love to land Ohtani in free agency this winter, but if he becomes available via trade, I question whether they would be willing to unload their farm system or if they’d even have enough to compete with the other teams that would be pushing for him.
Therefore, at this point, I think they’re more of a long shot to be on the other end of an Ohtani trade. But if they did make a run at him, the conversation would have to start with left-handed pitchers Kyle Harrison and Carson Whisenhunt, shortstop Marco Luciano, and outfielders Luis Matos and Grant McCray. The Giants have worked to build up their system, and to tear it all down for a rental doesn’t seem like something president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi would be willing to do. Instead, I see their best shot at Ohtani being in free agency.
As it stands, the Giants are 2.0 games back of the Dodgers for first place in the NL West and a half game up on the Diamondbacks and Marlins for the top Wild Card spot. They’ll finish the final two innings of a suspended, tied 2-2 game with the Reds on Tuesday before playing their originally scheduled game.
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