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10 teams that need to trade for Shohei Ohtani right now (and have the prospects to do it)

By Noah Yingling

Jul 18, 2022; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Angels pitcher/designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) looks on before the 2022 Home Run Derby at Dodgers Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 18, 2022; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Angels pitcher/designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) looks on before the 2022 Home Run Derby at Dodgers Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports /
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If the Los Angeles Angels decide to trade reigning AL MVP Shohei Ohtani, there will be 29 teams that would love to have him.

Ohtani entered his start on Thursday with a .257/.352/.492 with 21 home runs, 59 RBI, 16 doubles, and an OPS+ of 136. On the pitching front, he had made 16 starts with a 9-5 record with a 2.80 ERA, a 2.42 FIP, a 0.996 WHIP, and an average of 2.2 walks and 12.9 strikeouts per nine innings.

He is a free agent after the 2023 season so if the Angels do trade him (and they are entertaining offers for him right now), then he would probably be a more affordable option for teams than Juan Soto.

Not every team has what it would take to get Shohei Ohtani but here are 10 teams that need to trade for Ohtani before the trade deadline and have the means to do it.

The Baltimore Orioles

The Baltimore Orioles are a game over .500 and in fourth place in the AL East and they are only three games out of the AL Wild Card picture. Their main weakness is their starting rotation, as four of the top five starters (by number of starts) have an ERA+ of league average of worse.

They have had some relief in that department from other players in recent weeks but it still remains a weakness for them.

The Orioles also have five prospects in MLB.com’s Top 100, including two in the top five. Catcher Adley Rutschman also just graduated out of the list earlier this year and he was the #1 overall prospect.

The only issue would be that the Orioles have Trey Mancini (one of their best bats) as their primary DH. They are also covered in the corner outfield spots and at first base (Mancini’s other positions). But Ohtani would be their best bat so if they wanted him enough, they could kill two birds with one stone there.

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