MLB rumors: Angels put teams pursuing Juan Soto on notice for Shohei Ohtani

After insisting Shohei Ohtani was not up for a trade, the Los Angeles Angels have reversed course and are taking calls on the superstar.

It has not been a good week for fans of the Los Angeles Angels. First came the news that Mike Trout has a rare back condition that could impact the rest of his career.

Then Jon Heyman and Joel Sherman of the New York Post dropped a report saying the Angels are listening to trade offers for “everyone” including superstar Shohei Ohtani.

While that doesn’t make an Ohtani trade particularly likely, it could be a siren call to teams currently pursuing Nationals star Juan Soto.

MLB rumors: Angels now listening to calls about Shohei Ohtani

The NY Post report stated the “Angels are telling teams they need to listen on everyone following the surprise collapse of their team off a very strong start that had them in first place in May.”

A deal involving a generational talent like Ohtani would require “a massive haul back (plus ownership approval).” Getting both with just a few days left before the deadline is a steep hill to climb.

At the same time, there are a handful of teams who have already weighed giving away significant assets to acquire a superstar before the trade deadline. The Dodgers, Cardinals, Mariners and Padres are all reportedly in the mix for Soto. Any of those could switch gears to try to acquire Ohtani instead now that he’s suddenly available.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported earlier Thursday, before any reporting that the Angels were taking calls, that Padres GM A.J. Preller had already “checked in on” Ohtani.

Someone pulling off a blockbuster trade for Ohtani would be a crazy way for the MLB trade deadline to play out. Keep your eyes peeled on this one.