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MLB analyst predicts SF Giants will trade for Angels star Shohei Ohtani

Fox MLB analyst Eric Karros predicted that Los Angeles Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani will end up with the SF Giants after the trade deadline

Marc Delucchi

MLB analyst predicts SF Giants will trade for Angels star Shohei Ohtani
MLB analyst predicts SF Giants will trade for Angels star Shohei Ohtani /
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The SF Giants are among a long list of teams that would love to land Los Angeles Angels superstar Shohei Ohtani before this year's MLB trade deadline. While it's hard to know whether the Angels will actually part with the best player in the league, a report over the weekend revealed that they have taken a significant step toward making that a possibility. Former MLB first baseman turned analyst Eric Karros was asked about Ohtani's future on Saturday. He shared that he believed Ohtani will be donning a Giants uniform before the end of the season.

SF Giants starting pitcher Alex Cobb talks to Los Angeles Angels designated hitter Shohei Ohtani in between the innings during a spring training game at Tempe Diablo Stadium. (2022)
Angels star Shohei Ohtani and SF Giants starter Alex Cobb talk during a game. (2022) / Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports

"He's going to play in the postseason," Karros said. "He has to play in the postseason. The Angels need to trade him if they don't, they're doing a disservice to the organization. Now you want me to take it a next step further. Who's he going to be playing for? He's going to be playing for the Giants. That's who he's going to be playing for."

Karros seemed to be echoing the words of Giants starting pitcher Alex Cobb, who made a very similar claim during the All-Star break. However, Karros is far less biased toward the Giants. In fact, Karros spent the vast majority of his career playing for San Francisco's biggest rival, the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Karros actually argued that the Giants rivalry with the Dodgers could aid them in the pursuit of Ohtani. Angels owner Arte Moreno is known to be one of the more involved principal owners in MLB. Forced to live in the shadow of the Dodgers in southern California, Moreno might prefer trying to keep Ohtani from the Dodgers if he believes the Angels cannot re-sign the megastar.

"I'm just telling you that makes all the sense in the world. They have the wherewithal to do it. Then they get him for a couple months to try and court him so they can sign him for free agency. It makes all the sense, and you don't think that the Angels wouldn't want to trade him to San Francisco to spite the Dodgers?"

In case you need a refresher on just how good Shohei Ohtani has been this year for the Angels, he currently leads the league in both triples (6) and home runs (33) with a .302/.386/.661 triple-slash as a hitter. On the mound, the Angels ace has a 3.50 ERA (3.52 FIP) in 105.1 innings pitched (18 starts) with 139 strikeouts and 46 walks. It's easy to see how he could help make the SF Giants a favorite in the National League.

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Marc Delucchi
MARC DELUCCHI

Marc Delucchi (he/they/she) serves as the Managing Editor at Giants Baseball Insider, leading their SF Giants coverage. As a freelance journalist, he has previously covered the San Francisco Giants at Around the Foghorn and McCovey Chronicles. He also currently contributes to Niners Nation, Golden State of Mind, and Baseball Prospectus. He has previously been featured in several other publications, including SFGate, ProFootballRumors, Niners Wire, GrandStand Central, Call to the Pen, and Just Baseball. Over his journalistic career, Marc has conducted investigations into how one prep baseball player lost a college opportunity during the pandemic (Baseball Prospectus) and the rampant mistreatment of players at the University of Hawaii football program under former head coach Todd Graham (SFGate). He has also broken dozens of news stories around professional baseball, primarily around the SF Giants organization, including the draft signing of Kyle Harrison, injuries and promotions to top prospects like Heliot Ramos, and trade details in the Kris Bryant deal. Marc received a Bachelor's degree from Kenyon College with a major in economics and a minor in Spanish. During his time in college, he conducted a summer research project attempting to predict the future minor-league performance of NCAA hitters, worked as a data analyst for the school's Women's basketball team, and worked as a play-by-play announcer/color commentator for the basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams. He also worked as an amateur baseball scout with the Collegiate Baseball Scouting Network (later renamed Evolution Metrix), scouting high school and college players for three draft cycles. For tips and inquiries, feel free to reach out to Marc directly on Twitter or via email (delucchimarc@gmail.com).

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