New York Yankees are ‘the most motivated team’ to make trade for Shohei Ohtani, claims MLB insider 

Could we be seeing Shohei Ohtani in pinstripes sometime soon? It’s possible, but only if the Los Angeles Angels are interested in acquiring him.

Ohtani is set to become a free agent this offseason and his previous inclinations have indicated that he could be moving elsewhere once this season ends.

He’s said that he wants to play for a winner, and with the Angels on track to miss the postseason for the eighth year in a row, Los Angeles might look to move him now.

ESPN’s Buster Olney said that a number of teams could be in for Ohtani if the Angels choose to make him available. 

‘Well, you start with the Yankees,’ Olney said. ‘The Yankees, the Rangers and the Rays. Maybe a small handful of teams, but there’s no doubt when talking with sources yesterday, they see the Yankees as potentially being the most motivated.

Shohei Ohtani could be traded as his contract expires, with the Yankees reportedly interested

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman may look to get Ohtani to bolster his injured team

Injuries to players like Aaron Judge have left the team struggling in recent months

‘Because Gerrit Cole, Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton…there are middle-aged players right in the prime of their careers.’

‘This is the Yankees’ window to win now. You bring in Ohtani and, suddenly, the Yankees’ rotation with him involved looks so strong. Ohtani hitting in Yankee Stadium, which favors left-handed sluggers. 

‘That’s something I’m sure the Yankees would be willing to pay for if Ohtani is made available by the Angels,’ Olney explained.

But it’s that last statement, ‘if Ohtani is made available’, that’s the key in this. The Angels are currently five games back of a Wild Card spot and seven games back in the AL West.

Those are significant deficits, but not insurmountable deficits. The Angels might believe they could come back from that and reach the playoffs in a division that’s been dominated by the Rangers and the Houston Astros.

As for the Yankees, they’re eight games back in the AL East but just one game off a Wild Card spot. Their season has been riddled with serious injuries to players like Judge, which has handicapped their roster.

For general manager Brian Cashman, an addition like Ohtani could bolster his team’s struggling slugging and poor pitching down the stretch, as the Bronx Bombers look to keep their streak of six consecutive playoff appearances alive.