MLB expert questions whether Giants’ prospects are enough for Ohtani trade originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Giants expected to make a run at MLB megastar shohei ohtanibut either through an exchange with the angels of los angeles or in free agency remains to be seen.
In his last column for The Athletic, former cincinnati reds and washington nationals general manager Jim Bowden doesn’t envision San Francisco putting together a suitable package by Ohtani before the August 1 trade deadline for a couple of reasons.
“They’d love to have Ohtani in free agency this winter, but if he’s available through a trade, I wonder if they’d be willing to ditch their farm system or have enough to compete with the other teams that would.” be pushing for him,” Bowden wrote, calling a trade between the Angels and Giants for the two-way phenomenon a “long shot.”
The Giants recently began to benefit from their new crop of talent in the minors, with Patrick Bailey, Luis Matos and many other rookies making an impact for the team during the 2023 MLB season. There are plenty more waiting in the wings, but if the Giants were to trade for Ohtani, they could kiss their prospects goodbye.
Bowden believes San Francisco should start trade talks for Ohtani with left-handed pitchers Kyle Harrison and Carson Whisenhunt, shortstop Marco Luciano and outfielders Luis Matos and Grant McCray.
“The Giants have worked to build their system, and tearing it all down for rent doesn’t seem like something President of Baseball Operations Farhan Zaidi would be willing to do,” Bowden wrote. “Instead, I see his best chance for Ohtani to be in free agency.”
Ohtani’s price will be high, should he become available, as the AL MVP favorite that will certainly provide a boost to teams like the Giants looking to advance to the playoffs in the second half. The Japanese phenomenon has yet to experience the bright lights of the postseason — but maybe I could do it in Oracle Park, since San Francisco currently has two games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers for first place in the National League West.
And even if San Francisco’s potential trade package can’t compete with others in the league, there’s always free agency.
