MLB Rumors: 3 Shohei Ohtani trade fits and what each team can offer the Angels

1. New York Yankees

The moment that the New York Yankees were mentioned as a frontrunner for a potential Shohei Ohtani trade, my immediate reaction was that it didn’t pass the smell test.

If the Yankees are buyers at the deadline, they are going to target catching upgrades and rotation and bullpen help. They will surely place a phone call to the Angels to inquire about Ohtani and see what the asking price for a trade would be. But at 50-44, they have shown little reason to invest significant resources into the 2023 team. Especially for a rental player.

The Yankees, of course, have the resources to facilitate a trade. They could headline a deal with one of Anthony Volpe or Jasson Dominguez and it would be difficult for any team to compete with that.

But general manager Brian Cashman and the Yankees are not in position to do that — and considering their current payroll situation, may not even be in a spot to significantly pursue Ohtani as a free agent. It feels strange saying that about the big-market Yankees.

But it’s their current reality, and why an Ohtani-to-Yankees scenario feels like a pipe dream at best.

Grading the fit: 2.5/10