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Yankees Rumors: Could Bombers pull off Shohei Ohtani blockbuster?

By Adam Weinrib |
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JULY 19: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees and Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Angels look on from the dugout before the 92nd MLB All-Star Game presented by Mastercard at Dodger Stadium on July 19, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JULY 19: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees and Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Angels look on from the dugout before the 92nd MLB All-Star Game presented by Mastercard at Dodger Stadium on July 19, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
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So, you’re disillusioned with the Yankees‘ Juan Soto pursuit and worried about giving up too much of your top-end talent? Understandable. That’s a hefty price to pay for one player who can only do so much in four at-bats per night. What about paying a similar price for a guy who gets four at-bats a night, then pivots to throwing six shutout innings the next day?

You know. The guy with a rule named after him permitting him to remain in games as a DH after he’s already whiffed the side and exited. Shohei Ohtani himself. According to recent reports, he’s “available” in thick air quotes, but the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim will listen. And why wouldn’t they, stuck in neutral with Ohtani’s free agency approaching after one more full season?

How likely is an Ohtani trade at this point? According to Jon Heyman, two executives have assessed the possibility as “almost zero” and “very slim” … so you’re saying there’s a chance it could be revisited at the Winter Meetings?

Heyman’s report goes on to describe the asking price as “your four top prospects,” which sounds steep at first until you realize that Soto’s market has been more costly at this point, including established big-leaguers, too. It also sounds a bit less steep when you remember we’re talking about Shohei Ohtani, who can fill two gaps at the same time and do so expertly.

While nothing is remotely close, Ohtani was asked about the possibility of a trade after yet another brilliant start Thursday evening. His boilerplate “I’m with the Angels right now” answer sums up the whole discussion nicely; this isn’t over.

So, do the New York Yankees have a chance to acquire Ohtani, whether he’s all-caps AVAILABLE right now or not?

They can certainly put together as strong and as deep a package as anyone, but might face a unique hurdle.

Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Angels (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Angels (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) /

What would a Yankees trade for Shohei Ohtani look like?

Judging by the boilerplate “Your Top Four Prospects” scenario, the Yankees would likely be surrendering Anthony Volpe, Jasson Dominguez, Oswald Peraza, and Austin Wells for two playoff runs’ worth of Ohtani.

If that package seems a bit unsatisfying, though, it’s because the Yankees’ “top four prospects” include a pair of shortstops, as well as a bat-first unknown quantity in Wells. The Angels would likely require some modifications here in a best-case scenario, as well as some extra prospect capital from the back end of the team’s top 30.

Volpe, Dominguez and Wells would be included in any hypothetical trade, and perhaps the Peraza conundrum will be solved by shipping him to Cincinnati instead, in exchange for Luis Castillo. In any scenario where the Bombers acquire both Ohtani and Castillo, it’s possible the entire Top 10 ends up departing the system.

In order to meet and exceed the rumored Ohtani asking price (which you just know is going to grow and change as more teams realize the talks are legitimate), what about a package of Volpe, Dominguez, Wells, Ken Waldichuk, Hayden Wesneski, and Randy Vasquez? That’s two projectable bats, two top-end starters, a lottery ticket pitcher with beautiful stuff, and a potential Day One star in Volpe.

Does it sound like enough, even for one season of the phenom? Not really! This is an impossible-to-gauge trade with zero precedent. But if it’s four top prospects the Angels are seeking, they might be tickled by this ripe package.

As for the Yankees chances in this conversation, specifically, things get a bit more complicated.

Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Angels (Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images)
Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Angels (Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images) /

Do Yankees have any chance at a Shohei Ohtani trade? Does he hate the Yankees?

The Yankees’ personal history with Ohtani is actually somewhat bizarre, and is by far the biggest hurdle standing in the way of a potential deal (other than his obvious excellence negating a trade before discussions even begin).

Way back in 2017, the Yankees were the heavily-rumored favorite to sign Ohtani out of Japan, only to wind up slapped in the face and embarrassed. New York was actually the first team that was formally ruled out in the Ohtani chase; the star’s representatives did not allow Brian Cashman to make an in-person presentation, claiming Ohtani preferred a West Coast team or a smaller market. Suddenly, things were down to Los Angeles and Seattle, leaving the Yankees (and the fanbase) shellshocked.

The Bombers were coming off a surprise ALCS run, ending up one game away from the World Series. A new era led by Aaron Judge, Luis Severino and Gary Sánchez was just beginning. He didn’t want to be a part of that?

Since that largely-forgotten moment in time, the reception for Ohtani in the Bronx has typically been one of reverence rather than animosity. Certain folks still remember he didn’t want this, though, and that mentality has made his struggles on the mound in New York pop a bit brighter. Though Aroldis Chapman’s rain-soaked blown save stole the spotlight eventually, Ohtani was yanked from a start in the first inning during the summer of 2021; ultimately, seven earned runs crossed the plate.

Given a chance to make up for it in 2022, Ohtani was tagged for three homers, four earned runs, and eight hits in three-plus innings, resulting in a forgettable loss to Nestor Cortes. Are those two duds because of Ohtani’s small-market preference and a decided discomfort with New York? Or do the Yankees just have his number for whatever reason? Keep in mind the 2021 crew that battered him during his MVP season wasn’t exactly an offensive dynamo.

Factoring in Arte Moreno’s discomfort with surrendering a star in any capacity, combined with Ohtani’s blatant shunning of New York the last time he was on the open market, a deal between the two parties seems unlikely. Who knows, though? Maybe he’s changed. And maybe the Angels’ crazed billionaire will come to his senses.

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