MLBN-Morosi: Angels are now in a listening mode with Shohei Ohtani trade inquiries

[budice0]

 

[wopphil]

Good. It’s the right call. This organization needs a massive overhaul. They should be listening on just about everyone except Neto, O’Hoppe and Detmers. 

[UndertheHalo]

LISTENING MODE ACTIVATE 

Edited July 15, 2023 by UndertheHalo

[Stradling]

I’d trade him straight up for Craig. 

[UndertheHalo]

3 minutes ago, Stradling said:

I’d trade him straight up for Craig. 

Do we have a war reporting for Craig? Perhaps an ops+ 

[Second Base]

Multiple top 100 prospects for 2 months of Shohei? I mean if you can get that, go and get it then. Seriously, Arizona calls up and offers Jordan Lawlar and Druw Jones, you accept and say thank you very much.

 

[bloodbrother]

Smart decision

[jsnpritchett]

There's also a lot of wiggle room in the phrase "top 100 type prospects". 

[Stradling]

11 minutes ago, UndertheHalo said:

Do we have a war reporting for Craig? Perhaps an ops+ 

His OPS+ is 100

[Stradling]

11 minutes ago, UndertheHalo said:

Do we have a war reporting for Craig? Perhaps an ops+ 

His OPS+ is 100

[Stradling]

10 minutes ago, Second Base said:

Multiple top 100 prospects for 2 months of Shohei? I mean if you can get that, go and get it then. Seriously, Arizona calls up and offers Jordan Lawlar and Druw Jones, you accept and say thank you very much.

 

Completely agree. There’s maybe a 0% chance of that. You might say yes to a deal for either of them. 

[Angelsjunky]

23 minutes ago, Second Base said:

Multiple top 100 prospects for 2 months of Shohei? I mean if you can get that, go and get it then. Seriously, Arizona calls up and offers Jordan Lawlar and Druw Jones, you accept and say thank you very much.

 

"Top 100" doesn't have to be Jones (#13, 60 FV) and Lawlar (#21, 55 FV). The Angels might be able to get one guy like that, but more likely -- as I said in another thread -- it would be a package like so: 55, 50, 45+, 40. Or something like that. Meaning, one top 50 guy (but probably not top 10), one top 50-100 guy, and two solid/fringe/lottery types.

Just my guess. That's a nice package, obviously, and not normally what you'd get for two months of even a typical superstar. But Shohei isn't a typical superstar, and I think at least one team is going to make a really good offer. In a best case scenario, there's a bit of a bidding war.

Edited July 15, 2023 by Angelsjunky

[ukyah]

27 minutes ago, Second Base said:

Multiple top 100 prospects for 2 months of Shohei? I mean if you can get that, go and get it then. Seriously, Arizona calls up and offers Jordan Lawlar and Druw Jones, you accept and say thank you very much.

 

i think the only teams that will have any remotely serious discussion are the teams that can realistically expect to pay his FA rate. i would not expect more than a few teams to be in that position. giants probably, yankees, dodgers, mets. i mean who else can add a 60+ million per year player and still field a competitive roster? this has been the position with arte's unwillingness to go above the tax threshold. arte can't do it with the current salaries, and he's going to be able to do it when doubling ohtani's salary?

[gurn67]

The odds that they get a Top 50 guy with the compensation pick are extremely low. So, if you can build a package around someone like that, you take it. Also, you save $10,000,000 of salary.

[Second Base]

2 minutes ago, ukyah said:

i think the only teams that will have any remotely serious discussion are the teams that can realistically expect to pay his FA rate. i would not expect more than a few teams to be in that position. giants probably, yankees, dodgers, mets. i mean who else can add a 60+ million per year player and still field a competitive roster? this has been the position with arte's unwillingness to go above the tax threshold. arte can't do it with the current salaries, and he's going to be able to do it when doubling ohtani's salary?

The D-Backs have shown in the past they'll pay big for the right player as evidenced by Greinke, Goldschmidt, Randy Johnson, Curt Schilling (that goes pretty far back!). Arte won't trade Ohtani to the Dodgers, no matter how good the deal. He wouldn't even trade Ward or Rengifo over there. The Mets aren't buying for this year. Yankees will, Baltimore will and can spend. The Giants and Braves don't have the minor league pieces to do it. No one in either Central Division will. Padres could, but I think they're more focused on controllable pieces. 

So I think it comes down to the Yankees, Orioles, D-Backs. 

[DMVol]

The team with the most Top 100 guys is the Dodgers….I view dealing with the Dodgers kind of like the Churchill quote from WWII. You do what you have to do:

“If Hitler invaded hell I would make at least a favorable reference to the devil in the House of Commons.”
Winston Churchill 

[disarcina]

4 minutes ago, ukyah said:

i think the only teams that will have any remotely serious discussion are the teams that can realistically expect to pay his FA rate. i would not expect more than a few teams to be in that position. giants probably, yankees, dodgers, mets. i mean who else can add a 60+ million per year player and still field a competitive roster? this has been the position with arte's unwillingness to go above the tax threshold. arte can't do it with the current salaries, and he's going to be able to do it when doubling ohtani's salary?

normally your comment would be a correct assessment of the situation -- however, Ohtani is the most unique talent to come along - perhaps in MLB. history - certainly in the modern era.  There are two markets for Ohtani - and the value on each changes daily as we get closer to August 1 deadline.   Halos probably now realize (finally) they have ZERO chance of signing him long term -- and need to deal him to get something of value for the greatest player in the game.    Some teams might be willing to over-pay for a two month rental of Ohtani for the stretch run and playoffs giving them a real chance to sell out their stadium the rest of the season and load up on merchandise sales of Ohtani gear - jerseys, hats, shirts, bobble - heads etc. - he also could be the difference between making the playoffs with a shot at winning the World Series - even if there is no way the team can sign him long term. (Houston , Atlanta, maybe Cincinnati, perhaps SF Giants. -others).  Then there's the big boys would want Ohtani not just for the two months but for the extra time in close proximity to him to convince him to sign and stay long term (NY Yankees, LA DODGERS, maybe NY Mets.  Seattle (probably lack the resources).   If this comes down to the deadline wire -- the Angels front office will have to make the choice whether to pull the trigger on getting perhaps.ONE really good top prospect  and perhaps another good prospect  -maybe even a MLB guy (pitcher) under club control for. four more years or so for Ohtani or lose him forever with a draft pick compensation.  The Halos should insist on a draft pick as part of any player deal.  IMO the best chance for a team to over-pay for Ohtani is the NY Yankees who would be interested in signing him long term and feel - right now today - that they are behind the  LA Dodgers on Ohtani's list -- Yankees would be given and stretch run and playoff experience time to convince Ohtani otherwise.       As for the Dodgers - they can probably sit back and wait knowing they are the front-runners for Ohtani right now for 2024 and would engage only if a bidding war breaks out with the Yankees and their efforts to neutralize the Dodgers' advantage.    That's how I see it.

I just cannot see the ANGELS doing nothing and losing Ohtani to free agency.  The front office would be hounded and second-guessed forever if that were to happen.

[Second Base]

I think the most likely destination of all is Baltimore. They've just got their window of contention and are stocked with young MLB ready prospects and no where to put them. They could deal from their surplus without hurting the team's future while also making a big push this year. 

Minasian loves his first round picks and hyped prospects. I think he could swing some sort of deal where the Angels get Heston Kjerstad, DL Hall, Dylan Beavers and Seth Johnson from the Orioles. All those guys are furst or comp round picks, all have upside, all are in the high minors and every single one of them is currently blocked. 

[totdprods]

An important thing, It’s two months of Shohei…but it’s also a top pitcher and an elite hitter, so it’s effectively two rentals. 

They should rightfully ask for an insane amount, and actually think someone will pay up.

[Dave Saltzer]

2 hours ago, Second Base said:

Multiple top 100 prospects for 2 months of Shohei? I mean if you can get that, go and get it then. Seriously, Arizona calls up and offers Jordan Lawlar and Druw Jones, you accept and say thank you very much.

 

Lawlar, Jones, and Pfaadt would get the job done, IMHO. 

[totdprods]

4 minutes ago, Dave Saltzer said:

Lawlar, Jones, and Pfaadt would get the job done, IMHO. 

Would probably have to include something to get that. But I’d be wide open to that. Estevez, Ward, Sandoval, whatever, see if they’d take Fletcher’s contract, etc.

There’s a lot of room to find a good deal here.

[Dave Saltzer]

17 minutes ago, totdprods said:

Would probably have to include something to get that. But I’d be wide open to that. Estevez, Ward, Sandoval, whatever, see if they’d take Fletcher’s contract, etc.

There’s a lot of room to find a good deal here.

Agreed. Maybe Ohtani, Ward, Rengifo, and Soriano for Lawlar, Jones, and Pfaadt.

 

I just want AZ to make an offer like this so we can stick it to the Dodgers. We would have such a young nucleus to build around, that it would work out well for us. 

[Stradling]

You see if this is the year Baltimore is willing to spend prospect capital to make a real run. If so trade Ohtani and Estevez to the Orioles for whatever they’ll give up. I believe they have the most top 100 prospects. 

[jsnpritchett]

3 minutes ago, Stradling said:

You see if this is the year Baltimore is willing to spend prospect capital to make a real run. If so trade Ohtani and Estevez to the Orioles for whatever they’ll give up. I believe they have the most top 100 prospects. 

Don't know that an Estevez-type would be high on their priority list, though, given that they have Bautista and Cano already.

[Stradling]

Just now, jsnpritchett said:

Don't know that an Estevez-type would be high on their priority list, though, given that they have Bautista and Cano already.

Playoff teams have deep bullpens.