Angels' Shohei Ohtani Linked To Cardinals As Top Destination For Potential Trade

No player would be more impactful to save the 2023 season

Scott Neville | May 22, 2023

Angels' Shohei Ohtani Linked To Cardinals As Top Destination For Potential Trade /

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The St. Louis Cardinals are trending in the right direction after a tumultuous start to the 2023 season and appear to be in the mix for postseason contention.

After getting exposed early, it would make sense for the Cardinals to be more active than usual at the trade deadline, putting all possibilities into play.

The most coveted player at the trade deadline will be Los Angeles Angels two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani -- assuming the Halos continues to play middling baseball in a loaded American League.

If Ohtani is on the trade market, the Cardinals would be toward the front of betting odds to acquire his services given their resources both financially and in the farm system. One pundit believes St. Louis is the top landing spot for Ohtani this summer.

They need pitching help, and they need it badly," TWSN's Gavin Patrick wrote Tuesday. "Ohtani couldn’t fix the entire rotation, but he’d be one heck of a start. The Cardinals aren’t afraid to take big swings (no pun intended) in the trade market. Just two years ago, St. Louis swung a blockbuster trade for star third baseman Nolan Arenado. It’s safe to say that the Cards don’t regret that trade."

Ohtani would provide a boost that no other individual player brings to the table. He'd be the Cardinals' unequivocal ace along with a power bat to combine with St Louis' already impressive list of sluggers.

On top of his impact this season, the Cardinals could enter 2024 with a core of Paul Goldschmidt, Arenado and Ohtani. That trio of superstars paired with the young talent already set to be on the roster would rival any other team in Major League Baseball. They need to add some quality starting pitching either at the upcoming trade deadline or this winter but as Patrick said, Ohtani would be one heck of a start.

More MLB: Yankees Outfielder Reportedly Available; Cardinals Could Make Move To Bolster Position

Published May 22, 2023

SCOTT NEVILLE

Scott Neville covers the St. Louis Cardinals for FanNation's "Inside The Cardinals" on Sports Illustrated. Before starting "Inside The Cardinals", Neville attended Merrimack College, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and Media with a minor in Marketing. Neville spent all four years with Merrimack's radio station WMCK, where he grew as a radio/podcast host and producer. His propensity for being in front of a microphone eventually expanded to film, where he produced multiple short films alongside his then-roommate and current co-worker Stephen Mottram. On a journey that began as a way to receive easy credits via film classes, he received a call from "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" star Charlie Day. Day advised him to make a feature-length film, which he completed his senior year. While writing the film, Neville completed an internship for United Way as part of their NFL Partnership Program. Neville ran the blog for a team of interns and hosted an internet show called "United Way's NFL Partnership Series" where he interviewed NFL alumni. After college Neville wrote for SB Nation's "Over The Monster," a Red Sox sister site of the flagship brand. His work would eventually lead him to a job as a content producer with NESN, where he would cover all sports. After developing as a writer with the top regional network in the world, he was given the opportunity to join FanNation and the Sports Illustrated Media Group as the publisher of "Inside The Red Sox." After a few months as the top Major League Baseball site in the program, Neville sought expansion and pitched "Inside The Cardinals," one of the newest additions to FanNation and the Sports Illustrated Media Group. The successful launch and quick rise of "Inside The Cardinals" led to Neville joining the Baseball Essential ownership group, a national baseball site under SIMG. Follow him on Twitter: @ScottNeville46 Email: nevilles@merrimack.edu