The Cleveland Guardians are actually one of the few teams in the MLB that have the assets to make a Shohei Ohtani trade happen. Ohtani is the biggest name in baseball right now and he has been for a few years. The Los Angeles Angels are not even sure if they are willing to trade Shohei just yet. That is not going to stop the rumors from flying though. The “frontrunners” will always be big-market teams like the Dodgers or the Yankees, but they would have to give up everything for Ohtani.
Ohtani To Cleveland?
A dark horse candidate seems like the most likely move for the Angels if they do in fact trade Shohei. Could the Cleveland Guardians be that team? Many may ask why he would want to be in Cleveland. There is actually a reason, during the 2023 MLB All-Star game, Ohtani was asked who he was most excited about sharing a dugout with. He then shocked everyone by saying, Jose Ramirez.
Guardians fans went nuts just imagining what their roster would look like with Ohtani on it. Things are a little deeper than that though. LA would want a huge return for Ontani, even more than Washington got for Juan Soto. They would most likely want major and minor-league talent. Cleveland is one of the only teams with an abundance of both.
Let’s take a look at the young talent first. According to SportsIllustrated.com, either Tanner Bibee or Gavin Williams would have to be in the deal. They are both young pitchers who have proven themselves so far in the big leagues. Now for the Big League talent, Josh Bell would fit perfectly. Not only for his power-hitting abilities but also financially.
High-Risk High reward
Bell is having a down season but he is capable of heating up any night. Josh is owed about $16.5 million this season while Ohtani is to be paid $30 million. Although it would be a big risk for the Cleveland Guardians, it may be one worth taking. Ohtani may just end up being a rental for whatever team might trade for him, but that is one heck of a rental.
It will be very interesting to see what happens as the trade deadline continues to get closer and closer. What moves with Cleveland make? Will Shohei Otani be on the move? Only time will tell as we all patiently wait for any kind of concrete news.
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