Two clubs have spoken to Shohei Ohtani: the Diamondbacks and Orioles. Now, the Angels look to trade Ohtani prior to the deadline, according to MLB Network’s Jon Morosi.
At this moment, Arizona and Baltimore were essentially making “due diligence” calls, just in case the Angels’ stance changes.
Ohtani’s future has been the biggest storyline of deadline season. Whereas owner Arte Moreno firmly closed the door on the possibility of an Ohtani trade last summer, it would appear as if there’s at least a tiny chance that a deal might happen this year, even as the Angels remain on the fringes of the playoff hunt.
Battling to reach the playoffs, the Diamondbacks and Orioles check in on the two-way superstar. Ohtani would naturally provide a huge boost to either pitching staff, as well as instantly becoming the biggest threat in either lineup.
Diamondbacks GM Mike Hazen recently stated that his club plans to “be aggressive, even ultra-aggressive.” Likewise, Baltimore GM Mike Elias said back in May that his team was already intending to buy at the deadline, after such a long rebuild.
