As the baseball trade deadline fast approaches, the question of if—and to which team—Juan Soto will be traded is dominating the rumor mill. But a possibly even bigger blockbuster looms over all trade speculation: Could Shohei Ohtani actually be traded?
This time of year, teams call other teams about virtually every player, even the ones viewed as untouchable. But the dire turn the Angels’ season has taken—they’ve lost 39 of their past 52 games and entered play on Tuesday with the fourth-worst record in the American League—make the idea that a generational talent like Ohtani could actually be shipped off a degree or two less far-fetched than it otherwise would seem.
Which brings us to The Athletic‘s Jim Bowden’s reporting on Tuesday that Mets general manager Billy Eppler has been in contact with the Angels regarding Ohtani. Bowden shared that bit of information in an interview with CBS Sports, adding that while the Angels have made it clear that they have no interest in parting ways with Ohtani, they are still fielding phone calls on the matter.
