Shohei Ohtani Rumors: MLB Insider Reveals New Team Pushing to Acquire Angels Star

Shohei Ohtani has been the most talked about player in baseball this season for good reason. The only utilized two-way player in MLB, Ohtani holds a 3.32 ERA with a 3.1 strikeout-to-walk ratio while also batting .272/.359/.663 with an MLB-leading 32 home runs.

With the Angels ending the first half of the season on a 1-9 run, the trade rumors around Ohtani have reached a fever pitch despite a lack of evidence that the Angels' front office is considering selling the once-in-a-generation talent.

Because Ohtani will be a free agent after the 2023 season, some think that the Angels should get a return on the 29-year-old while they can instead of seeing him walk away after the season. Above anything, Ohtani wants to win, and the Angels must prove that if they have even the slightest chance of retaining the superstar.

One team that has moved to the forefront of Ohtani trade rumors is the New York Yankees. MLB insider Buster Olney of ESPN said on the television program "Get Up" that he has heard that the Yankees are potentially the most motivated team to pursue Ohtani because of their championship window with talented, but aging, superstars.

"Gerrit Cole, Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, they're middle-aged players right in the prime of their careers. This is the Yankees window to win now," Olney said. "You bring in Ohtani, suddenly that Yankees rotation with him involved looks so strong. Ohtani hitting in Yankee Stadium, which favors left-handed sluggers, that's something I'm sure the Yankees would be willing to pay for if Ohtani is made available by the Angels."

(Via "Get Up"

The key word here is "if". Should the Angels determine they have a chance of making the postseason, and therefore showing Ohtani that he can win as an Angel, they are expected to keep the two-way player on their roster. With 16 games remaining until the Aug. 1 trade deadline, the battle for Ohtani's future is heating up. Interestingly, the Angels' second series after the All-Star break is against the New York Yankees.