5 potential trade targets that could seriously alter Dodgers' 2023 season

Shohei Ohtani

This is obviously the biggest name on this list, as Shohei Ohtani is the best player in baseball. Dodgers fans have been optimistically waiting for Ohtani's contract with the Los Angeles Angels to expire after the 2023 season so the team could potentially lure him to LA with its winning ways.

But the Dodgers may not even need to wait that long. ESPN's Jeff Passan recently outlined Ohtani's future and how important it is for the Angels to win games. Passan said that Ohtani leaving if the team misses the playoffs is definite, and that if the Angels are struggling yet again, then a trade could even be in the cards.

The price would be astronomically high, even with Ohtani being a one-year rental. Every contending team would be in the race for Ohtani, as they look to not only bolster their playoff chances, but get him in the building early to sign an extension.

Some may argue that the Dodgers should simply wait, since Ohtani is going to test the market anyway and could come to the Dodgers in free agency. While that is true, it is impossible to blame Andrew Friedman for wanting to get Ohtani in the building ASAP to work out a contract extension before he has the chance to leave.

It worked with Mookie Betts, and as long as the Dodgers are offering Ohtani what he is looking for, then it could happen with him as well.

The Angels would actually be better off doing business with their Southern California rivals as well. Not only do the Dodgers have a rich farm system, but they theoretically would be willing to bid higher, since they know they have a chance of locking Ohtani down long-term. A team that knows he will only be a rental is only willing to offer so much.