Shohei Ohtani Rumors: The best trade package from every NL East team
By Mark Powell
Shohei Ohtani Rumors: A Philadelphia Phillies trade package
Andrew Painter is the Phillies top prospect, but he’s set to miss the next 8-12 months after undergoing Tommy John surgery. He’s also the No. 8 overall prospect in baseball, and the Phils don’t want to part with that potential for what could be less than half a season of Ohtani.
Abel and Crawford are both top-100 prospects. Lee is the team’s No. 5 prospect, and a signee out of Taiwan. Crawford was the Phillies 2022 first-round pick. At just 19 years old, he won’t be in the majors for quite some time. Abel could contribute as soon as next season, though, with the right development. The Angels lack pitching, so on the surface this trade makes some sense.
Shohei Ohtani Rumors: A New York Mets trade package
The Mets throw in a fourth prospect here for several reasons. First, their asking price is slightly higher because they are a threat to re-sign Ohtani, thus making him not a rental. Second, they don’t have top pitching talent to send back the other way, which is a need for this Angels team. Parada is blocked by Francisco Alvarez, while Williams would have to change positions thanks to Francisco Lindor (and potentially Ronny Mauricio). Tidwell is the team’s top pitching prospect, but he’s 22 and still in A+.
Sarmiento is just 18 years old and a signee out of Venezuela. He signed the third-richest international deal in Mets history, per MLB Pipeline. He has real potential, but for Ohtani, this return is worthwhile.