
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - MAY 18: Shohei Ohtani #17 of nan Los Angeles Angels hits a location tally successful nan first inning against nan Baltimore Orioles astatine Oriole Park astatine Camden Yards connected May 18, 2023 successful Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images)
The Shohei Ohtani waste and acquisition marketplace could beryllium nan wildest MLB has ever seen, but different pundit has linked him to a astonishment landing spot.
The penning has seemed to beryllium connected nan wall that, if nan Los Angeles Angels driblet retired of contention this season, that a Shohei Ohtani trade could beryllium connected nan table. If nan Halos are competing astatine a morganatic level, past it would apt pave nan measurement for nan two-way Japanese superstar leaving successful free agency, frankincense expanding nan urgency of nan Angels to waste and acquisition him successful bid to debar losing him for nothing.
And nan Angels are so falling. After a 19-14 commencement to nan year, they are conscionable 6-9 successful their past 15 games, dropping to 25-23 overall, 3rd successful nan AL West, and 5 games backmost of nan Rangers successful nan division. The stars are starting to align for an Ohtani trade.
But where, ohio where, could Shohei Ohtani extremity up if he is traded this season?
Obviously, you person to deliberation astir nan ultra-aggressive teams ever successful nan operation for illustration nan Mets, Yankees, and Dodgers. However, location has been a sleeper squad looming underneath nan aboveground for immoderate clip that mightiness conscionable fresh nan bill: nan St. Louis Cardinals.
And now different MLB pundit, this clip Gavin Patrick of TWSN, has linked Ohtani to nan Cardinals. Here’s what Patrick said astir nan anticipation of nan two-way phenom ending up successful St. Louis.
The Cardinals aren’t acrophobic to return large swings (no pun intended) successful nan waste and acquisition market. Just 2 years ago, St. Louis swung a blockbuster waste and acquisition for prima 3rd baseman Nolan Arenado. It’s safe to opportunity that nan Cards don’t regret that trade.
Do nan Cardinals request Ohtani? Maybe not, but if you want to revitalize your season, trading for Ohtani puts you correct backmost successful nan operation for postseason success.
Cardinals rumors: Shohei Ohtani waste and acquisition linked to Cards by different MLB pundit
The Cardinals seemed to beryllium moving retired of nan moving for immoderate hypothetical Ohtani waste and acquisition early successful nan play aft a disastrous opening of nan year. Of late, however, they’ve caught occurrence and person looked much for illustration nan squad we expected, winning 8 of their past 10 games and notching 3 consecutive bid wins.
If that continues and they support moving up nan NL Central standings, nan Redbirds could beryllium looking for that superstar solution to their problems. That’s a domiciled that Ohtani could decidedly fill.
What puts nan Cardinals successful a unsocial position for an Ohtani trade, though, is that they person 1 of nan richest workplace systems successful shot pinch 4 prospects successful nan Top 100 rankings from MLB Pipeline, including Jordan Walker and Matthew Liberatore, while besides having young erstwhile apical prospects and assets for illustration Dylan Carlson, Tyler O’Neill, Alec Burleson and others. Put plainly, they person nan ammo to perchance make nan Angels budge.
There is simply a batch to still play retired earlier a Shohei Ohtani waste and acquisition would go a reality. But while nan Cardinals mightiness look for illustration a astonishment team, if they tin proceed to erase their atrocious commencement to nan 2023 season, they mightiness really beryllium nan astir logical landing spot.