"It wouldn’t surprise me" - MLB insider speculates big off-season trade move for two-way star Shohei Ohtani, names Chicago Cubs as front-runners
It is no doubt that Shohei Ohtani has established himself as a one-of-a-kind talent in Major League Baseball. Since joining the Los Angeles Angels back in 2018, Ohtani has been a phenomenon in the MLB. With the Angels lack of success, the question remains, will Ohtani remain in an Angels uniform for long?
MLB insider Jon Morosi does not believe he will. Since the trade deadline, there have been rumors on whether or not Los Angeles will keep Ohtani. Morosi believes a deal will happen this off-season to send Ohtani off. He projects the Chicago Cubs, a young team with a lot of assets, could pick up the superstar.
.@jonmorosi on @ParkinsSpiegel Show: 'It wouldn’t surprise me' if Shohei Ohtani was traded to #Cubs this offseason
bit.ly/3ArddsR https://t.co/VfKQHL5qbo
"@jonmorosi on @ParkinsSpiegel Show: 'It wouldn’t surprise me' if Shohei Ohtani was traded to #Cubs this offseason" - 670 The Score
The Chicago Cubs are nowhere near a playoff contender as of right now. This season, the Cubs have a record of 55-73, which is eighteen games under .500. They are also 19 games behind the St. Louis Cardinals for first place in the National League Central.
However, the only sizeable contracts the Cubs have are starter Marcus Stroman and outfielder Jason Heyward. This means that they have a lot of cap space to go after Shohei Ohtani once he is a free agent in 2023.
On top of this, Chicago has three prospects in the MLB's top 100 prospect list. All three are outfielders, and they are expected to be MLB ready by 2024 the latest. The Angels would likely go after these three in a trade if they were interested.
Today, Angels Baseball announced that the Organization has initiated a formal process to evaluate strategic alternatives including a possible sale of the team. https://t.co/ZdQb34V4Ns
"Today, Angels Baseball announced that the Organization has initiated a formal process to evaluate strategic alternatives including a possible sale of the team." - Los Angeles Angels
With the Angels owner looking to sell the franchise, this might be an appropriate time to trade a player like Ohtani. He is expected to receive one of the largest contracts in MLB history. If the Angels are looking for new ownership, it might not be the smartest to pour $400+ million into one player.
If the Chicago Cubs were to land Shohei Ohtani, they would be getting a whole lot from him. Let's take a look into what the Cubs would receive in Ohtani.
What the Chicago Cubs can expect from Shohei Ohtani
So far in his career, Shohei Ohtani has shown that he can be elite on both sides of the baseball diamond. He has put up MVP numbers at the plate and Cy Young-caliber stats on the mound. He is a true game changer and would greatly help out any team in the MLB.
At the plate, Ohtani is a career .264 hitter with a .532 slugging and a .886 OPS. He already has 121 home runs, including 28 this season for Los Angeles. His efforts at the plate earned him his first MVP Award last season, along with a Silver Slugger Award.
Shohei Ohtani has been the only bright light for the #Angels this season #GoHalos #大谷翔平 https://t.co/mRBzrE3feG
"Shohei Ohtani has been the only bright light for the #Angels this season" - Sportskeeda Baseball
On the mound, Shohei Ohtani is 24-13 for his career with a 3.18 ERA. He is also just shy of 400 career strikeouts in 311.2 innings pitched. This season might be his best on the bump, going 11-8 with just a 2.67 ERA and 176 strikeouts.
Any team would be very lucky to add Ohtani to their squad. However, it is going to be very odd to see him in a different team's uniform.