As the Los Angeles Angels continue to fade out of the American League playoff picture with the trade deadline looming, many around baseball are wondering if two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani will be traded before Aug. 1.
Entering play Wednesday, the Angels are 48-48 and sitting 4.5 games out of the third AL Wild Card spot with two more playoff contenders ahead of them for the final berth. Meanwhile, the Giants (54-41) have won seven in a row and hold the top National League Wild Card spot, just 1.5 games back of the Dodgers.
On Tuesday’s edition of 95.7 The Game’s “Willard & Dibs” longtime MLB insider Tom Verducci spoke at length about Ohtani’s situation and if San Francisco fits in the picture.
“I gotta tell ya, I don't see him getting traded,” Verducci said. “I'll be shocked if he's traded."
It might behoove the Angels to trade away Ohtani while they can still get something back for him, as all the big-money clubs will clearly be trying to sign the 29-year-old generational talent, who is etching his name alongside the game’s all-time greats.
Among the favorites to sign Ohtani as a free agent include the Giants archrival Los Angeles Dodgers, who aren’t afraid of shelling out huge deals for marquee stars.
“It's hard for me to believe that there's someone who will offer Ohtani something that the Dodgers can't,” Verducci said. “I don't know how anybody is going to beat what the Dodgers are going to put on the table.”
Ultimately, Verducci thinks Ohtani’s decision may be fueled by an organization’s desire to win rather than the size of their checkbook.
“To me, he has a lot of Michael Jordan in him,” Verducci said. “He wants to be the very best. And he knows he can't be the very best unless he's playing in the postseason, specifically the World Series. That's what's going to drive his decision.”
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