Back in 2022, we saw one of the biggest trades in MLB history when superstar Juan Soto was traded to the San Diego Padres for an absurd haul of prospects. The crazier part is that he was the Padres’ second option, as the Padres first discussed Shohei Ohtani before pivoting to Soto.
The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal broke this crazy news on his podcast, Foul Territory, last weekend.
“They had every opportunity to trade Ohtani and they didn’t do that,” Rosenthal said. “Jackson Merrill was, at one point, part of the talks between the Padres and Angels when they were discussing Ohtani…The packages likely would have been similar.”
So let’s dive into how different these California baseball teams would look if this trade went down.
Los Angeles Angels
The Angels are clearly the losers of this situation. They never made the playoffs with Ohtani and then watched him walk in free agency, only to end up right down the freeway with the Dodgers.
We don’t know the specifics of this deal, but we know one thing: the Angels would have gotten a haul. Soto was traded for prospects James Wood, CJ Abrams, MacKenzie Gore, Jarlin Susana, Robert Hassell, and major leaguer Luke Voit. They could have potentially received close to that package plus Merrill. Insane.
Even if the Halos netted only three of Merrill, Wood, Abrams, and Gore, it would have been worth it. They would be in a fantastic spot with an elite young core right now. The future would be bright, despite losing the best player in baseball.
San Diego Padres
The Padres are the wild card of this trade. Trading for Ohtani instead of Soto may have moved the needle in 2022 or 2023 and led the Padres to their first-ever World Series championship. Shoot, his tenure in San Diego could have persuaded him to sign a long-term deal with the Friars.
On the other hand, the Padres still could have been eliminated in both seasons and watched Ohtani leave to sign with the Dodgers. The Padres likely would have lost more prospect capital. Most importantly, they wouldn’t have Michael King, and potentially Jackson Merrill and Dylan Cease. The Padres would be significantly worse.
Los Angeles Dodgers
While the Dodgers aren’t part of this trade, it could have had serious implications for them landing Ohtani in free agency.
As previously mentioned, Ohtani could have had a successful run in San Diego that enabled him to re-sign. Or, he could have signed with the Dodgers regardless, causing their rivals to be even more depleted. Either way, last season’s NLDS would have been much different.
The Aftermath
The MLB landscape would be completely altered if this blockbuster deal happened. The Padres and Dodgers’ rosters may be unrecognizable compared to the current ball clubs. Their modern-day rivalry might be ten times better or ten times worse, depending on the outcomes that followed an Ohtani-to-the-Padres trade. The Angels could very well be one of the best up-and-coming teams in baseball. Instead, they have an aging Mike Trout with a bleak future. But hey, at least they swept Ohtani and the Dodgers this past weekend.
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