Blue Jays: A Hypothetical Trade Package for Shohei Ohtani

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.