3 updated White Sox trade packages for Shohei Ohtani following Art Moreno news
The Los Angeles Angels have been one of the league's great mysteries over the last few decades. They have had, for different lengths of time, two of the best players that this league has ever seen.
Mike Trout is an elite defensive centerfielder that happens to be one of the greatest hitters who ever lived. From the second he stepped on a baseball field, he was one of the best.
Trout will walk into the Hall of Fame with ease and some will actually consider him the greatest all-around player who ever lived.
A few years ago, Shohei Ohtani came into his life as he signed as an international free agent. He is a unicorn because he is one of the greatest pitchers in the game and one of the best hitters in the league.
The Chicago White Sox could really use a player like Shohei Ohtani.
He is a designated hitter for four out of five games and he is the starting pitcher on that fifth day. The league has never seen a talent quite this good which is saying something because there have been some amazing baseball players.
However, none of this has translated into winning for the Angels. They have mostly been a bad team while having two of the most impactful players ever.
A lot of people think that the Angels could be moving on from Shohei Ohtani this year because it is unlikely that he resigns after this season.
It felt like the Angels were going to be sold but owner Art Moreno announced that isn't going to happen any time soon. With that, the future of Shohei Ohtani still remains a question.
Following this news, Ohtani may still be available. These are some updated trade packages in case the Chicago White Sox want to acquire him:
To White Sox: Shohei Ohtani - To Angels: Eloy Jimenez, Lucas Giolito, Gavin Sheets, Colson Montgomery
The Chicago White Sox would be giving up a lot to land a player like this.
Shohei Ohtani would improve so much about the White Sox. For one, he would improve their starting rotation by a wide margin. The only White Sox pitcher that was better than him in 2022 was Dylan Cease who came in second for the American League Cy Young Award.
Ohtani would command so much in a trade. Giving up Eloy Jimenez, Lucas Giolito, Gavin Sheets, and Colson Montgomery would hurt but it would be worth it for a guy like this. Each of them would provide something different for the Angels as they continue to try and build around Trout.
Jimenez and Sheets are each players that can play some outfield but earn their money with their power numbers. Playing out there in the warm west might really benefit each of them in completely different ways.
Giolito would go there and hope to regain his elite form from 2019-2021. You can argue that Giolito at his best would be the ace of their staff. That is someone that would help fill the gap of Ohtani in terms of pitching. Jimenez would give Ohtani's HR total a run for his money if he ever stayed healthy.
Montgomery is a prospect that is still years away from playing in the league but he is very good. The Angels would surely be looking for players like this.
To White Sox: Shohei Ohtani - To Angels: Luis Robert, Michael Kopech, Sean Burke
A trade like this would be a blockbuster for the Chicago White Sox.
In addition to being such a good pitcher, Ohtani is a magnificent hitter. He can compete with anyone in any area of the offensive side of the game. Aaron Judge had an outlier of a home run total but Ohtani is right there for the league lead every year. He also hits for contact and steals lots of bases.
A trade of Luis Robert, Michael Kopech, and Sean Burke would certainly be an interesting return for a player like Ohtani. Each of them provides something so different for a franchise.
In terms of Robert, he can legit become one of the best players in baseball. He has shown flashes of brilliance as he has made his way into the league over the last couple of years. He, like Jimenez, just gets hurt a lot and needs to find a way to figure that part out. He can be a game-changer.
Kopech has as high of a ceiling as any pitcher in the White Sox organization including Dylan Cease. That is high praise for him as he works back from Tommy John surgery. In 2023, he will then be a second-year starter in a row and that could see him take a huge step.
As mentioned before, the Angels might want a prospect or maybe even multiple depending on the package. Sean Burke is a pitcher that would make great sense in a group like this.
To White Sox: Shohei Ohtani - To Angels: Colson Montgomery, Oscar Colas, Sean Burke, Yoelqui Cespedes, Noah Schultz
The Chicago White Sox could just give up all of their best prospects.
The Chicago White Sox are still trying to build thier farm back up after graduating so many of its players to the Major League level. Now, trading all of the best ones for Shohei Ohtani would certainly bring it back down but it might be worth it in the end.
Sending the Angels five of their ten best prospects might be a good idea of they truly believe that Ohtani can be a missing piece to their World Series winning aspirations. It might not last for as long but they would be able to at least bank on Ohtani helping them that much.
Colson Montgomery and Oscar Colas are each top-100 MLB prospects which is something that would surely be attractive to the Angels.
Sean Burke, Yoelqui Cespedes, and Noah Schultz are also all very capable of making it to the league one day. This would be a complete blockbuster trade.
Again, we don't know that the Angels are even going to move him but you'd assume that they try if the believe he isn't coming back. The White Sox making a move like this would be stunning but it is certainly very fun to think about. Getting a two-for-one player like that would be so cool.
dark. Next. The White Sox should consider a trade for Max Fried