That Balls Outta Here
FanSided

5 Angels players the Phillies should target at the trade deadline

By Gabrielle Starr

Jul 9, 2022; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Patrick Sandoval (43) looks into towards home plate before throwing a third inning pitch against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 9, 2022; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Patrick Sandoval (43) looks into towards home plate before throwing a third inning pitch against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
5 of 5
Next
Shohei Ohtani
BALTIMORE, MD – JULY 07: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Angels looks on against the Baltimore Orioles during the eighth inning at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on July 7, 2022 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /

Shohei Ohtani

An absurd pipe dream, to be sure, but let’s dream for a moment. Shohei Ohtani can do it all. With a 2.44 ERA over 14 starts and 19 home runs in 85 games as a hitter, he’s Babe Ruth, but better. Imagine him in the same lineup as Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper and in the same rotation as Zack Wheeler. It almost wouldn’t be fair to everyone else.

The Phillies were actually somewhat in the mix for Ohtani back when he was posted during the 2017-18 offseason before he went to Anaheim, instead. He’s signed through the end of this season, will have his final year of arbitration next year, and become a free agent in 2024. If the Phillies traded for him and they reached the postseason together, they’d also have a leg-up on signing him long-term. With all the money coming off the books after this year, they could absolutely afford him.

While it would likely take emptying the entire farm system to get Ohtani, he may be the only player worth that. Sure, it would set their finally-growing prospect pool back to basically zero, but Ohtani is the kind of game-changer who could pull them into the postseason. Go big, or go home, right?

Home/Phillies News