MVP two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani may very well be on the block this offseason. With Los Angels Angels owner Arte Moreno planning to sell the team, the New York Mets can dream at their chance of hauling in a top-tier difference maker that will improve the lineup and the starting rotation.
The Mets have plenty of reason to be in on the Ohtani sweepstakes. The better tool Ohtani has to offer the Mets would be his bat. His silver slugging swing would finally take over the DH spot that has been in limbo this season. While the Mets don't need starting pitching, the addition of Ohtani would simply make the current rotation better. And if things happen to change after this season, Ohtani could lead a new era of Mets pitching to October baseball.
Acquiring Shohei Ohtani this offseason would mean sending most of the Mets top prospects.
Obviously, trading for Ohtani will call for a group of lottery tickets that can hopefully set the Angels up for the next generation. Based on pure value, a Mets package can look like this: C Francisco Alvarez, 3B/OF Brett Baty, C Kevin Parada, OF Alex Ramirez, SS Jett Williams, and SS Ronny Mauricio - Mets current top 6 as per the MLB Pipeline.
The problem with that deal is that the Mets definitely won’t go for this. Steve Cohen has shown Queens that he plans to put a competitive team on the field while at the same time have a farm system with depth. He wants to be the Dodgers of the east and he is not there yet. The Mets are in dire need of a long term backstop and dependable third baseman. Their current prospects are lined up in a way that those positions can be filled very soon.
In my bizzaro world, the Mets send Brett Baty, Alex Ramirez, Ronny Mauricio, 1B/3B Mark Vientos, and RHP Blade Tidwell. The Angels this trade deadline already traded for a top 10 catching prospect in Logan O’Hoppe from the Phillies. And to be honest, the Angels lost the prime opportunity to trade Ohtani at a high value when they decided to hold on to him this trade deadline.
This imaginary trade package for Los Angeles would be a huge blow to the Mets farm but the value Ohtani will bring with him is priceless: a huge fanbase and high level performances on the rubber and at the plate. This would be a jolt of energy for the Mets and be another sign that Cohen wants to seize the crown of New York baseball.