MLB Insider shares discouraging update to teams pursuing Shohei Ohtani's services: "The only chance to get him is when he hits free agency"

Shohei Ohtani is probably going to be predicted in a lot of trades and the subject of a lot of rumors come the deadline. When the contenders emerge and need more pieces, Ohtani's name will come up quite a bit since he's headed for the biggest free agency of all time and the Angels aren't a big contender.

One MLB insider believes everyone should pump the brakes on that, though. Ohtani, from his perspective, is not a trade candidate at all.

Bob Nightengale said via Sports Illustrated:

"Please, enough is enough. The Angels are NOT trading Shohei Ohtani. The only chance to get him is when he hits free agency in November."

Several teams would likely have sent major packages to the Angels. Some might have already offered and still might try when the time comes, but it doesn't look like it will be received well.

The Angels very well could lose their next 15 games and fall right out of the playoff race and change the organization's mind. Ohtani remains an unlikely re-sign for them, so trading him for anything is better than letting him walk away for free, but for now, that doesn't seem to be on the radar.

The Angels, led by Ohtani, are currently 21-20 and 4.5 games out of first place. They're also 1.5 games back from the third wild card slot, so they're unlikely to want to ship off their best player.

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Which team is favored to land Shohei Ohtani?

Right now, these are the odds for Shohei Ohtani's next team- in 2024, not as a result of a mid-season trade:

• New York Mets +200
• New York Yankees +400
• Chicago Cubs +400
• Los Angeles Dodgers +500
• San Diego Padres +500
• Atlanta Braves +800
• St. Louis Cardinals +1000
• Houston Astros +1600
• Philadelphia Phillies +1800
• Toronto Blue Jays +1800
• San Francisco Giants +1800
• Seattle Mariners +2200
• Cleveland Guardians +2200

Where is Shohei Ohtani headed in 2024?

Based on Bob Nightengale's opinion, don't expect there to be a team in between the Angels and whichever of these other teams ends up winning the sweepstakes for Ohtani's services.