Dodgers Rumors: 2018 Manny Machado Trade Viewed as Comp in Potential Shohei Ohtani Package
With just a few short weeks left until the trade deadline, the Los Angeles Dodgers have some choices to make. The front office needs to decide how to proceed with a team that is very much in contention, but also find a way to maintain flexibility for the future.
President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman has done this fine-line walk before and he is one of the best in the business.
The team is preparing to go all-in this winter for Angels two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani when he becomes a free agent, and they likely won’t allow anything to get in the way of that. Ohtani could be traded this summer as the Angels deal with their own issues and of course, LA would love to get involved in the trade discussions if that were to happen.
However, the likelihood of an Ohtani trade to the Dodgers is slim to none, due to Angels owner Arte Moreno and his pride. But if Ohtani is traded, it’s going to take a major haul to land him.
Luckily for the Dodgers, they have the prospects to get a deal done. The only issue is that a player like Ohtani has never really been traded before so the compensation needed is a bit murky.
In the past we’ve seen star players moved for large amounts of prospects, with one being close to home with the Dodgers. Back in 2018, they trade traded away five prospects to acquire third baseman Manny Machado from the Baltimore Orioles. It’ll likely be a similar style of haul for the Angels if they ever decide to move Ohtani this summer.
Sarah Valenzuela of The LA Times looked at some recent deals that could help build the foundation of an Ohtani trade.
"In exchange, the Orioles got outfielder Yusniel Díaz, ranked the Dodgers’ No. 3 prospect by Baseball America at the time; right-handed pitcher Dean Kremer; infielder Rylan Bannon; right-handed reliever Zach Pop; and infielder Breyvic Valera."
As always, prospects are a wild card and more often than not, they don’t pan out. But if a team can get some quality players with the hope that they will turn into MLB players, a deal can be done. For the Angels, if they trade Ohtani then they need to make sure they are getting solid compensation for trading away the best player in the game.
If Machado got five strong prospects, then Ohtani may get the Angels seven. This will be something to watch as the trade deadline approaches because this narrative isn’t going away. If Ohtani is indeed dealt, it will help set the precedent for future trades and will change the trajectory of the league.
