Blue Jays: A Hypothetical Trade Package for Shohei Ohtani

Shohei Ohtani, arguably the most talented player in baseball history, could potentially be moved this offseason as the Los Angeles Angels star is a free agent next offseason. The Angels are on a downward spiral and have been since 2014. Despite having Ohtani, and the other best player in the game, Mike Trout, the Angels haven’t made the postseason since that 98-win season in 2014 and haven’t had a winning season since 2015.

It hasn’t just been Ohtani and Trout either, they’ve had some help. In the past, the likes of Mark Trumbo, Albert Pujols, Howie Kendrick, Josh Hamilton, and Juston Upton have all attempted to lend a hand, to no avail. More recently, Taylor Ward, Patrick Sandoval, Anthony Rendon, Jared Walsh, Raisel Iglesias, and more talents have all shared a roster with the two perennial MVP candidates.

Despite sporting these names, a lack of depth behind them has led to mediocrity in this storied Angels franchise, and they run the risk of potentially wasting the careers of two of the best athletes of this generation. Shohei has a legitimate gripe, as the Angels franchise has a unique ability to miss the playoffs despite housing so much talent. Ohtani deserves to be on the biggest stage annually. In comes the Blue Jays and their reported interest in trading for the 2021 MVP.

The Blue Jays on the other hand are coming off of a postseason appearance for the second time in three years, albeit a disappointing one. The window for contention has clearly arrived for the Jays, along with some holes in the roster that need to be filled. A failure to address the pitching staff and hopefully an impact bat would mean a similar fate in 2023, as the AL East continues to evolve.

This being said, is there a connection between the Angels and Blue Jays worth exploring? Does a trade for Shohei Ohtani to the Blue Jays make sense? Is it possible? If a trade is possible, it must be done with the expectation that Ohtani is signed to an extension post-trade. Both organizations need to be assessed to see if a trade is logical.

The state of the Angels is concerning. Spotrac has their payroll sitting at 10th on the leaderboard amongst MLB teams, the third highest amongst teams that missed the playoffs and the highest amongst teams who haven’t made the playoffs since 2014 by far. Outside of the money, the lack of depth on the Angels remains as big of a concern as ever. The top of a healthy Angels lineup as of today is as potent as any.

RF- Taylor Ward
CF- Mike Trout
DH- Shohei Ohtani
3B- Anthony Rendon
1B- Jared Walsh

The drop-off after Walsh is steeper than any mountain/hill imaginable. Outside of Luis Rengifo, who should enter 2023 without guaranteed playing time, the highest OPS+ from the rest of the available players this past season was 79 from outfielder Jo Adell. The Angels are top-heavy even when fully healthy, and the biggest issue is depth. Trading one of their stars could go a long way toward providing more competent offensive players to boost this mediocre group of position players.

The Angels have the makeup of a competitive team, and doing a complete rebuild in the middle of Mike Trout’s prime is nothing short of terrifying for both Angels fans and MLB. The Angels are in need of more of a re-tool, and free agent to be in Shohei Ohtani should be the centrepiece of a single deal that would supplement the offence of this Angels team.

Without reinforcements, the Angels stand no chance in a tough AL West. Additions could be made at catcher, infield, and with the pitching staff. A team consisting of Trout, Ward, a healthy Rendon, Sandoval, and two or three more above-average players, is a dangerous one. If the Angels agree to part with Ohtani in exchange for a package of impact players, what could that look like from the Blue Jays?

Adding Major League Ready Pieces

C Alejandro Kirk

I debated on whether the aforementioned Kirk or Gabriel Moreno would be the better fit in this trade. After much thought, I went with Kirk, as his experience and reputation carries weight in a trade of this magnitude.

I also believe including Kirk would solidify the deal, as Kirk is a game-changer who has an upward trajectory after a strong 2022 season. The Angels aren’t utterly desperate for a catcher, as Max Stassi brings value with his defensive abilities. This would allow Kirk to fill a role similar to his last year, a season split between catcher and DH, and fit well into creating a potent Angels lineup. Kirk would have no shortage of replacements on the Jays, as Danny Jansen and Gabriel Moreno are both capable of being impact catchers as well.

OF Lourdes Gurriel Jr.

Gurriel Jr. fills the hole in left for the Angels and allows Raimel Tapia, Cavan Biggio, and Whit Merrifield to all get more playing time. Gurriel is an impending free agent, the only one in this package, but he fits the Angels lineup quite well and would add to their competitiveness for 2023. With Gurriel’s contract being up after next season, he’s one of the more expendable starters the Jays find themselves with.

One More Prospect

1B/OF Spencer Horwitz

Horwitz fits in here as another throw-in piece that I think the Angles would value. Being a disciplined left-handed hitter, something the Jays could use more of, Horwitz fits the Angels’ picture well given their thin outfield depth. Horwitz is on track to crack the majors next season, and being a member of the Angels could expedite that.

This is as realistic a package I could come up with. It stings enough for fans to be wary of, but the acquisition of Shohei Ohtani and the roles he could fill on the Jays is impossible to ignore. In my opinion the trade satisfies both parties, and leaves the Jays with a lineup and rotation as follows (with more, less costly acquisitions to follow):

Rotation:

Manoah
Ohtani
Gausman
Berrios
White/Kikuchi/Ryu (late in the season)

Lineup:

Springer CF
Ohtani DH
Guerrero Jr. 1B
Bichette SS
Hernandez RF
Chapman 3B
Jansen C
Merrifield 2B
Tapia LF

But is it Possible?

Regardless of the package itself, the front office of both franchises, along with Ohtani himself, have to actually want the deal to happen.

The Angels have a lack of depth within their organization and a lot of money tied to a few players (including Rendon). The hypothetical trade I proposed would diversify the Angels’ roster and put Ohtani on a contending team for the foreseeable future.

This brings us to the aspect that the deal hinges on, the extension. The last trade of this nature completed by the Blue Jays was back in 2012 when they traded for the reigning Cy Young winner, R.A. Dickey. Dickey had a deadline to agree to terms on an extension or the deal was off. The sides were able to agree, and the Jays paid a significant sum in exchange for at least three years of one of the best in the game at that time.

Ohtani would obviously demand a heftier price tag. Players of his magnitude can easily warrant at least an extension in the double digits in years. Take Francisco Lindor’s extension from 2021. After being traded to the Mets he signed a 10-year, $341 million right after Spring Training. With the lack of guarantee of an extension when the deal was finalized with Cleveland, the Mets paid a less heavy price tag to acquire him.

With the amount of salary the Jays would be committing with this deal, a clause stating that an extension must be agreed to is more than understandable. I believe the Blue Jays would be financially capable as well. George Springer and Kevin Gausman are the only players signed to a significant amount of money through at least 2026. The hope is that at least one of Guerero or Bichette will be beginning an extension at that point as well.

With approximately three players making over $20 million a season in this timeframe, paying for Ohtani becomes a feasible possibility. This speculation is completely negating the fact that Shohei is one of the most globally recognized figures in sports, and would no doubt bring in a wealthy revenue stream for Rogers.

Ultimately, it would come down to Ohtani and whether the Angels are willing to part with him, which at least at the present time, does not seem like they are interested. A lot can change over the course of the winter and no one has any way of knowing his intentions, but if Ohtani wants to be a part of a playoff calibre roster, the Jays have one for at least the next few seasons.