Red Sox's Divisional Foe Deemed Favorite In Shohei Ohtani Trade Sweepstakes

Ohtani could go to a surprise candidate within the division

Scott Neville | Jul 17, 2023

Red Sox's Divisional Foe Deemed Favorite In Shohei Ohtani Trade Sweepstakes /

In this story:

It's no debate that the most-intriguing candidate to be moved at the upcoming Major League Baseball Trade Deadline is Los Angles Angels two-way sensation Shohei Ohtani.

While the Halos currently sit in limbo and there are conflicting reports regarding the team's interest in a trade, opposing franchises will be calling about the Japanese superstar.

Among those suiters are a few American League East foes of the Boston Red Sox, including the reported frontrunner. The Athletic's Jim Bowden listed the Tampa Bay Rays as the top trade destination for Ohtani and backed up his claims with an important source, the man that would ultimately make the decision for the Rays.

"The Rays have a loaded farm system and president of baseball operations Erik Neander has made it clear they’re going into the trade deadline with their eyes wide open," Bowden wrote Monday. "He told me Sunday on 'The Front Office,' my SiriusXM radio show, that they have the resources to absorb a contract like Ohtani’s, which has about $13 million remaining, and the prospect capital to make a trade of that magnitude. He emphasized that they have the 'full support' of Rays owner Stuart Sternberg to acquire the necessary players to help the club take the next step: winning a championship."

The Rays currently sit in first place of the historically talented AL East but hold just a one-game lead over the red-hot Baltimore Orioles -- who own an eight-game winning streak. Tampa Bay knows they could use a boost right now and might be desperate enough to go all-in for Ohtani.

Bowden listed the New York Yankees as the fifth-most likely suitor for Ohtani and the O's as the eighth-most likely.

If Ohtani is on the move in a few weeks, it sounds likely that Boston will have to contend against him regularly.

More MLB: Red Sox Interested In Giving Rising Star Brayan Bello Contract Extension

Published Jul 17, 2023

SCOTT NEVILLE

Scott Neville covers the Boston Red Sox for Sports Illustrated's new page "Inside The Red Sox." Before starting "Inside The Red Sox", 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 the Sports Illustrated Media Group in his current endeavor as the publisher of "Inside The Red Sox." The successful launch and quick rise of "Inside The Red Sox" led to Neville joining the Baseball Essential ownership group, a national baseball site under SIMG. Follow him on Twitter: @ScottNeville46 Email: nevilles@merrimack.edu