Shohei Ohtani rumors: 5 teams that should use Angels ownership drama against them

4) Shohei Ohtani rumors: Maybe the Cardinals passed on Juan Soto for this reason

Potentially the runner-ups in the chase for Soto, could we see some future Shohei Ohtani rumors linking him to the St. Louis Cardinals? They have a good farm, young talent, and plenty of opportunities for Ohtani to do his thing.

The Cardinals went out and had a lighter trade deadline but an effective one. If it works and they come away with a 2022 World Series victory, maybe ownership convinces themselves it’s more about quantity of good players than the quality of one superstar.

Even then, the thought of being able to put Ohtani on your roster might be too tempting to pass up. He’d replace Adam Wainwright and Albert Pujols. The Cardinals are another one of those teams always in contention. They have many of the pieces they would have traded for Soto. Will they ship them out to the Angels for Ohtani?

5) Shohei Ohtani rumors: Consider the Rangers a darkhorse pick

The Texas Rangers are undergoing some major changes. A disappointing year in 2022 cost the general manager and manager their jobs. What better way to get fans excited about the future than by adding Ohtani to the roster?

The Rangers have shown they aren’t afraid to spend money. They inked Corey Seager and Marcus Semien to major deals over the winter. Their big problem is pitching. They could also use a little more offense. Ohtani solves both of those problems.

Down on the farm, this is a ball club with some pretty good pieces. They have six of the top 100 prospects in baseball right now. It might make more sense for them to wait until he possible reaches free agency. But let’s not be too shocked if they decide to live a little more dangerously and make a blockbuster trade within the division.