MLB insider reveals Los Angeles Angels rejected NL West team's blockbuster Shohei Ohtani trade offer

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20 hours ago

The landscape of Major League Baseball could look vastly different today if the Los Angeles Angels had traded Shohei Ohtani to a National League West team three years ago — and it wasn't the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Athletic's MLB insider Ken Rosenthal revealed on the 'Foul Territory' podcast that the Angels and San Diego Padres were discussing an Ohtani trade in 2022, which would have brought one of the best young hitters in the game to the Halos.
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'They had every opportunity to trade Ohtani and they didn't do that. Jackson Merrill was, at one point, part of the talks between the Padres and Angels when they were discussing Ohtani,' said Rosenthal.
With talks failing to progress, the Padres pivoted to Juan Soto and made a blockbuster trade with the Washington Nationals for the superstar. In the deal, the Padres gave up:
Outfielder James Wood
Shortstop C.J. Abrams
Left-handed pitcher MacKenzie Gore
Outfielder Robert Hassell III
Right-handed pitcher Jarlin Susana
First baseman/designated hitter Luke Voit
Wood is emerging as a franchise cornerstone, Abrams has developed into an All-Star, Gore has turned into Washington's ace, while Susana and Hassell are the organization's No. 2 and 11 prospects, respectively.
While Soto had two-and-a-half years of control at the time of the trade compared to Ohtani's one-and-a-half, it's fair to say the Angels could have received a similar package for the two-way superstar, including Merrill.
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'The packages likely would have been similar — this was Shohei Ohtani. Merrill was part of it,' noted Rosenthal. 'Whether he would've been part of the final deal, hard to say, we don't know. The mere fact that they could've made that kind of deal for Ohtani, well it just shows that they missed on an opportunity.'
After six seasons with the Angels and failing to make the playoffs despite winning AL MVP twice, Ohtani signed a then record-breaking 10-year, $700 million deal with the Dodgers ahead of the 2024 season. He proceeded to become the first player ever to hit at least 50 home runs and steal 50 bases, win his first NL MVP, and capture a World Series title.
If the Angels had traded Ohtani in 2022, they might not be mired in the AL West basement once again and could instead be looking toward a bright future with Merrill, and possibly Wood, Abrams and Gore.