The Los Angeles Angels may or may not trade Shohei Ohtani before the Aug. 1 trade deadline. They are bound to get calls from interested teams, however, and one franchise might be a surprise player.
The Tampa Bay Rays are expected to at least call the Angels about Ohtani, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. The Rays are a threat to acquire Ohtani because they have the organizational talent that might be necessary to swing such a deal.
Topkin notes, however, that the Rays adding Ohtani is ultimately unlikely. The team would not want to get involved in a bidding war, and it would be an uncharacteristic move for an organization that traditionally develops talent and refuses to mortgage their future to acquire star players.
![Shohei Ohtani in the Angels dugout](https://larrybrownsports.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/shohei-ohtani-dugout-800x450.jpg)
Still, the Rays may be a team to watch, as they are one of the few teams with enough young talent to potentially tempt the Angels into making a deal. While it may not be the biggest factor, the threat of an AL East rival pushing to acquire Ohtani might also play on the Rays’ minds.