Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
Blue Jays Potential Trade Destination For Shohei Ohtani, Vegas Says
The Blue Jays may add a left-handed bat and a starting pitcher at the 2022 MLB trade deadline. Or they could add both in one player.
Toronto is listed as one of the top potential destinations for Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani, if the DH/SP is traded in the coming days. Toronto's odds to move for Ohtani are +1000, per BetOnline, which implies a 9.09% chance the Jays will swing a move for Ohtani.
Toronto's Ohtani trade odds are the sixth-highest, following the Cardinals at the top (+200), and then the Yankees, Dodgers, Padres, and Mets.
A trade for Ohtani would be largely unprecedented, given his two-way stardom and recent AL MVP win. In 2022, Ohtani is slashing .251/.345/.481 with 21 homers in 97 games at the plate while also pitching 17 starts with a 2.81 ERA on the mound. His 4.8 bWAR this year ranks sixth in baseball and third in the American League, behind only Aaron Judge and Yordan Alvarez.
Per Jon Heyman, rival executives feel any offer for Ohtani would start with a team's "four top prospects." For the Blue Jays, that could mean Gabriel Moreno, Ricky Tiedemann, Jordan Groshans, and Orelvis Martinez.
Ohtani has just one year of arbitration eligibility left on his contract after this season and is set to hit free agency at age 29. He was asked about recent trade speculation earlier this week by Sam Blum, of The Athletic.
"Right now I’m an Angel, and that’s all I can really focus on at this point,” Ohtani said.
H/T Jon Heyman, Sam Blum
