Dodgers get the price tag for a potential Shohei Ohtani trade

The Los Angeles Dodgers have one of the top farm systems in baseball and a payroll that knows no limits. If there’s a megastar on the trade market, then the Dodgers are going to do their due diligence and check in, ask about the price, and determine the fit.

Juan Soto is the biggest name on the trade market and the return for him would reach monumental levels. However, Soto isn’t the only megastar that might warrant a massive trade at the deadline.

The Los Angeles Angels are not making the playoffs this season, and with so much money already committed to Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon, the team might have trouble paying Shohei Ohtani after the 2023 season. The team is already thin now, and it will be even worse if they are paying three players over $100 million each year from 2023 until at least 2026.

An Ohtani trade is unlikely this year but it appears the Angels are at least taking phone calls for the two-way sensation. The New York Post’s Jon Heyman reported on Thursday that the Angels are willing to listen to offers and gave some intel from rival executives about what it might take.

They do not seem confident it will happen, claiming the Angels have slapped a hefty price tag on Ohtani (and rightfully so).

Woof, your top four prospects for 1.5 years of Ohtani … which will likely be followed by a one-of-a-kind monster contract? If that really is the case, we now know what the price tag would be for the Dodgers and can perhaps scrap our older proposal.

What the Dodgers would have to send the Angels for Shohei Ohtani:

While various outlets have different overall rankings for the Dodgers’ farm system, the top four in the system are pretty universal. Both MLB Pipeline and FanGraphs have catcher Diego Cartaya, right-handed pitcher Bobby Miller, infielder Michael Busch, and outfielder Andy Pages as the top four.

The positive side of this trade package is that the Dodgers wouldn’t have to send any big-league talent. The Angels could also pound the table for a package that includes young players like Gavin Lux and Dustin May that can help the big-league club right away.

However, the Dodgers are trying to win a World Series and both players will be important to that cause. Thus, if LA really was interested at all in bringing in Ohtani, the team might prefer to send a package like this over one that takes away big-league contributors at the moment.

While this quartet of players may not boast household names, each player has immense value.

Cartaya is an extremely gifted catcher, both behind the plate and in the batter’s box, and has been compared to the likes of Salvador Perez. Miller is a legitimate front-line starter that would give the Angels their first true ace prospect in years. Michael Busch is a smooth-hitting versatile infielder that could make the Opening Day lineup in 2023. Andy Pages is an exciting power-hitting outfielder that the Angels already almost traded for.

These four all rank in MLB Pipeline’s top 100. In fact, they all check in within the top 50. Cartaya ranks 12th, Miller 25th, Busch 41st and Pages 46th. It all just depends what the Angels want to do and how they view their immediate future.

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