MLB odds have the Toronto Blue Jays in the hunt for Shohei Ohtani

With Game 1 of the World Series between the Astros and Phillies set to get underway on Friday night in Houston, it’s time to look ahead to the off-season for the Toronto Blue Jays.  Toronto’s implosion in Game 2 of the AL Wild Card series will be hard to forget, but one distraction is to look at a potential blockbuster trade that could drastically change the look of the team.  Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels is one of baseballs most exciting players as both an elite pitcher and a power hitter, but with the dual threat Japanese superstar sitting one year away from free agency, could the Blue Jays put together a blockbuster deal to bring Ohtani north of the border?

Is Shohei Ohtani Available?

Ohtani is a baseball unicorn that has no real comparables in the modern era of the game.  Last year’s AL MVP is consistently ranked as one of baseballs most dangerous pitchers and one of the most elite hitters.  Ohtani, who will likely finish second in AL MVP voting behind Aaron Judge this season, ranked within the top-10 in the American League in wins (15), ERA (2.33) and strikeouts (219).  Offensively, he was also top-10 in the AL in RBIs (95), home runs (34), triples (6), slugging percentage (.519) and OPS (.875).

With one year remaining until he is a free agent, could the Angels move Ohtani?  L.A. has publicly stated they plan to keep Ohtani, but there is a real belief that he was available at the trade deadline and the Angeles could still be willing to move him if he doesn’t intend to re-sign.  Ohtani has always maintained he wants to play for a winning team and with the Halos looking like a team that won’t break their eight-season playoff drought next year, it’s not hard to put the pieces together and figure out Ohtani is likely available for the right price.

Say Goodbye to a Cornerstone Piece

Ohtani is more than a once-in-a-generation player, but that comes with what will be one of the highest price tags ever for an individual player.  The upside is the Blue Jays have the assets to make an enticing pitch, while the downside is they will undoubtedly need to include a cornerstone piece of the roster.  It would be a drastic move to make a pitch for Ohtani, but keep in mind the Angels superstar fills two major needs for Toronto: starting pitching and left-handed hitting.

Outside of slugger Vladimir Guerreo Jr. and pitcher Alek Manoah, everyone is available in an Ohtani trade.  Looking at the remaining roster, that leaves one obvious candidate to centre a trade around, Bo Bichette.  This is obviously a risky deal for Toronto as they would be giving up three years of team control on the 24-year-old Bichette for only one guaranteed year of 28-year-old Ohtani.  The glaring case to trade Bichette is the brutal miscommunication in centre field that helped the Mariners in their comeback win over the Jays in Game 2 of the Wild Card series, but you don’t trade a player for one mistake.  Game 2 of the Wild Card series simply pointed out what should be obvious: Bichette is a defensive liability at shortstop.  Losing Bichette’s bat would hurt, but if he remains adamant about staying at shortstop, moving him in general might be the best move for the team longterm.

Other Trade Chips

A trade for Ohtani will clearly not be a one-for-one deal.  It’s going to require at least one established big league player and multiple other pieces.  Look at catcher Gabriel Moreno, who is a consensus top-5 prospect in baseball, as a valuable trade chip.  Pitcher Ricky Tiedemann’s name has also come up as a potential option after Baseball America ranked him as the 28th best prospect.

Another option is 23-year-old catcher Alejandro Kirk following a breakout campaign in the majors in 2022 that saw him appear in a career-high 139 games and bat .285 with 14 home runs.  Other options from the big league roster include utility player Cavan Biggio and infielder Santiago Espinal.  Corner outfielders Teoscar Hernandez and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. would be easy throw-ins for Toronto as they will both be free agents in 2023.

It’s Time to Make a Move

The Toronto Blue Jays are officially in a window of contention and that comes with significant pressure.  The days of playing it safe while the prospect pool develops are over.  It’s time for a major move to put the Jays over the top, so why not swing for the fences and go all-in on Ohtani?