Dodgers Rumors: MLB Insider Says There’s No Way Angels Trade Shohei Ohtani to LA

The buzz surrounding a potential Shohei Ohtani deal is unlike anything we’ve seen in a long time. As each day goes by and the trade deadline inches closer, the notion that the Angels may actually trade their two-way superstar grows louder. It also has been fueled by the fact that the Angels have been in a free fall within the standings and their playoff chances look bleak.

With about two weeks left until the deadline, the Angels have some decisions to make. They need to decide if they want to be the team that trades Ohtani away or if they want to hold onto him and hope for the best. No matter what they do, the talk isn’t going to stop.

If the Angels do indeed trade Ohtani, it certainly won’t be to their Southern California rivals in the Los Angeles Dodgers. Many Dodger fans already knew this but MLB insider Jon Heyman all but confirmed it on Monday.

“Even if you think he can sign long-term with the Dodgers, he’s not going to be traded to the Dodgers.”

Per Jon Heyman - Bleacher Report

Part of this comes back to Angels owner Arte Moreno and his pride getting in the way. LA has the type of prospects that could help the Angels fast-track a rebuild if they were to send Ohtani away but Moreno would never approve a deal to Los Angeles.

In fact, he may not even approve a deal at all for the biggest show in baseball. Heyman gives it a pretty low chance that a trade even happens this summer, putting it around a 25 percent chance at happening.

.@JonHeyman says he would put it around a 25% chance that Shohei Ohtani gets traded before the deadline 😳 pic.twitter.com/3Ohbir9sVU
— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) July 17, 2023

LA is still in a great spot to land Ohtani when he becomes a free agent. That is and has always been the best way to get him onto the roster.

The Dodgers know this and have set themselves up nicely to make an all-out aggressive run at Ohtani this winter. Many around the game of baseball believe that the Dodgers are the favorite at this point and that probably is part of the reason why Moreno would never send Ohtani down the I-5.

Now, anything can happen. But unless Moreno has a major change of heart, the Dodgers and their fans will have to wait until the winter to potentially see Ohtani wearing their jersey.