Potential error in the Angels' handling of Shohei Ohtani potentially prevented the Cardinals from acquiring another star player.
In the 2022 Major League Baseball season, two blockbuster trades were on the table, each involving star players and top prospects. One of these deals, had it come to fruition, could have significantly reshaped the landscape of the National League.
The proposed trade between the Los Angeles Angels and the San Diego Padres for Shohei Ohtani nearly materialized, involving a substantial package of top Padres prospects. Key players discussed in that trade included CJ Abrams, James Wood, MacKenzie Gore, Jackson Merrill, and potentially other prospects like Hassel. This trade was close to materializing, but Angels owner Arte Moreno pulled Ohtani off the market, preventing the deal from going through.
This proposed trade package mirrored much of the core prospect group that the Padres also used in their high-profile 2022 acquisition of Juan Soto. The Padres gave up top prospects to get Soto, reflecting a front office strategy aiming to win immediately by trading youth for established stars.
If the Padres had successfully acquired Ohtani from the Angels by trading those prospects, it would likely have significantly altered the Padres' ability to acquire Soto. Since that same core of prospects was involved in the Soto trade, the Padres trading them to the Angels for Ohtani would have left them without enough assets to package for Soto.
Consequently, the Cardinals’ chances to acquire Soto could have been strengthened, as they would have been in a better position to compete for him. The Cardinals' pursuit of Soto could have been bolstered by the Padres' diminished prospect capital after trading for Ohtani.
Despite the potential advantages, the Cardinals still could have lost to the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2022 Wild Card game, even with Soto in their lineup. The outcome of the 2022 season and the potential of a magical team remains uncertain due to the Angels' inaction at the trade deadline.
In the proposed trade deal between the Cardinals and the Nationals for Soto, players like Jordan Walker, Nolan Gorman, Matthew Liberatore, Masyn Winn, Tink Hence, and Dylan Carlson were reportedly involved. The careers of some of these players have not lived up to expectations, making the Cardinals' decision to hold onto them and miss out on Soto a potential missed opportunity.
In hindsight, the proposed trade deal for Soto appears to be a potential steal for the Cardinals, as the careers of some of the players involved have not lived up to expectations. Meanwhile, the prospects given up by the Padres in the Soto deal will continue to pay dividends in Washington for years to come.
The addition of Soto to the Cardinals' lineup could have made them one of the National League's favorites, with a deep lineup featuring Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado, and Soto finishing first, third, and potentially second in MVP voting. Had the Angels traded Ohtani, they could have received a combination of CJ Abrams, MacKenzie Gore, and James Wood, among other young players.
This intertwining of trades shows how the Angels-Padres negotiations for Ohtani had a ripple effect on the Padres' ability to acquire Juan Soto and the Cardinals' opportunity to compete for Soto, illustrating the complex dynamics of MLB's trade market.
The initial trade deal between the Los Angeles Angels and the San Diego Padres, if it had happened, might have hindered the Padres' ability to acquire Juan Soto, given that the same core prospects were involved in both trades.
Had the Angels traded Shohei Ohtani, they potentially could have received a combination of CJ Abrams, MacKenzie Gore, and James Wood, among other young players.
