Hall of Famer John Smoltz thinks LA Angels need to trade Shohei Ohtani: "...Man, would I be flaunting that opportunity and changing my franchise..."

All eyes have been on Shohei Ohtani this season. He's playing on a contract year and having arguably one of the best seasons he has had in Major League Baseball.

Ohtani is surging offensively this year. He's hitting .297/.384/.647 with 31 home runs and 11 stolen bases. He leads the league in home runs (31), triples (5), slugging percentage (.647), OPS (1.031), OPS+ (178), and total bases (218).

Given Ohtani's great year, Hall of Famer John Smoltz thinks the time for a trade is now. He believes the value LA Angels would get in return could change the franchise's course. He said on the Flippin Bats podcast:

"If you're talking to the right team that has the opportunity to re-sign him, and you get major prospects along the way, you could change your franchise"

It's no question Shohei Ohtani would bring immense value at the trade deadline. He's arguably the best player in the league and brings in a brand-new market for any team that signs him.

Smoltz thinks it would be a waste to keep Ohtani, given the value he would bring in. He's playing great, and with the recent injury to Mike Trout, many expect the Los Angeles Angels to slide with Trout on the IL.

All attention will be on Shohei Ohtani after the All-Star break

Los Angeles Angels v San Diego Padres

Mike Trout's recent hamate bone injury has turned this situation on its head. It was unlikely the Angels would trade Shohei Ohtani with a chance at making the postseason, but can they do it without Trout?

Trout fractured his hamate bone on July 3 and underwent surgery on July 5. He is expected to be on the IL anywhere between four and eight weeks.

If Los Angeles were to take themselves out of playoff contention, that does not mean an automatic trade option. There's a possibility they cannot find a team that is willing to match what they would demand for Ohtani.

The Washington Nationals received many prospects when Juan Soto was traded to the San Diego Padres last year. The Soto trade saw MacKenzie Gore, Robert Hassell III, C.J. Abrams, James Wood, and Jarlin Susana move to the capital.

Ohtani would bring in an even bigger haul of prospects. It begs the question, does a team even have enough to make a move for Ohtani?

The next few weeks will be crucial as the MLB trade deadline is coming up soon, on August 1. This is shaping up to be one of the more eventful trade deadlines in recent years.