MLB Odds: What would it cost the Toronto Blue Jays to trade for Shohei Ohtani?

As the August 1 trade deadline quickly approaches, there’s one name that is dominating the headlines: Shohei Ohtani. Arguably the most unique baseball player since Babe Ruth, Ohtani is a two-for-one package that fills the role of a starting pitcher and an elite bat.

So, what would it take to get Shohei Ohtani on the Toronto Blue Jays? Emelie Savard hit the streets of Toronto to asks fans what they would give up for Angels’ superstar. You can out the full YouTube video below and don’t forget to visit Sports Interaction for a complete list of AL odds, NL odds, MLB props and futures.

Shohei Ohtani

Ohtani is the most dynamic and versatile player in recent baseball history. The 29-year-old has an 8-5 record with a 3.71 ERA in 19 games this season. Over 111.2 innings pitched in 2023, Ohtani has 143 strikeouts, third-most in the American League. Oh, and one more thing: on days Ohtani is not pitching, he’s a pretty decent hitter too. As of July 27, Ohtani leads the majors with 36 home runs and he has a chance to break Aaron Judge’s all-time AL single-season home run record of 62, set last year.

Ohtani is a massive favourite to win his second career AL MVP award and he would make almost any team an instant World Series contender (cough*not Oakland*cough). The three-time All-Star is a free agent at the end of the season and he has made it clear he wants to win. That means the Angels, a team not exactly known for a winning culture, can trade him for a massive haul before August 1, or risk losing him for no return in free agency. Could Ohtani end up in Toronto?

Toronto Blue Jays trade chips

Brace yourself Blue Jays fans because it will likely take a cornerstone piece of Toronto’s roster to make an Ohtani deal work. Don’t kill the messenger, but that means one of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. or Bo Bichette, plus a haul of picks and prospects.

Despite a down year, Guerrero is still an extremely attractive trade piece as a 24-year-old All-Star who has become a reliable everyday first baseman. The Home Run Derby champ has two-plus years of team control remaining on his contract and is two years removed from an MVP calibre season that saw him lead the majors with 48 home runs. Oh, and who did Guerrero finish runner-up to in MVP voting in 2021? Ohtani. Guerrero is likely as good of a replacement in the lineup as the Angels are going to get and it helps ownership sell the fanbase on L.A. retooling the team rather than completely overhauling and rebuilding.

As much as it would still hurt, Jays fans would likely choose to move on from Bichette over Guerrero if forced to decide. Bichette is a 25-year-old All-Star, but he’s still a defensive liability at shortstop. So, why would the Angels want him? Because he’s a 25-year-old All-Star shortstop. If L.A. thinks they can salvage Bichette’s defensive game, he’ll be considered a valuable hitting asset. Bichette has led the American league in hits in each of the last two seasons and he’s on pace to do it again in 2023. He’s had his rough patches, but the upside of Bichette greatly outweighs anything else. Like Guerrero, adding Bichette to the Angels lineup would help the team in a quicker retool rather than a full rebuild.

Will Ohtani be traded?

There’s been speculation all season about where Ohtani will end up and in recent weeks, he looked destined for the AL East, with Tampa Bay, Baltimore and Toronto all rumoured to be interested in the two-way star.

Less than a week before the trade deadline, however, the Angels have reportedly taken Ohtani off the trade market. L.A. signalled its intention to push for the playoffs by acquiring Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez from the White Sox for two highly valued prospects. The Angels have won seven of 10 games since the All-Star break and they sit four games back of Toronto for the final AL wild card spot. It now looks highly unlikely the team would trade Ohtani, even if it means risking losing him for nothing this winter.

It looks like Ohtani is staying in L.A. for the rest of the season, but that leads to a new question. Can the Blue Jays afford to sign Ohtani in free agency?