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.
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.
