MLB insider predicts potential trade for Shohei Ohtani as $500,000,000 deal looms: "If the Angels have a rotten week, Moreno will listen"

Shohei Ohtani is the hottest topic in baseball. As he reinvents what people think is possible for one player and heads towards an almost certain MVP award, the only thing anyone can wonder is whether or not he's in a Los Angeles Angels uniform after the trade deadline.

A while ago, the Angels were on the cusp of a wild card slot, which certainly meant there would be no trade. Now, they've fallen on hard times sans Mike Trout and are four games out of the wild card and one game above .500.

They're not out of it yet, but they could be soon if things don't turn around. If things continue this way, the decision to trade their star could be an easy one.

MLB insider Bob Nightengale said:

"If the Angels have a rotten week, Moreno will listen to his front office, and see if they can convince him their future would be better if Ohtani departs."

While he is a rental and may not even sign with whatever team trades for him, especially since he's likely to see a $500 million contract this offseason, he will still cost a lot for some team to add.

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Will Angels ship Shohei Ohtani off amidst slump?

That can be a good thing for the Angels. If they do decide to call it and trade him, they can rest easy knowing they'll get an exceptional haul. Rentals often don't get as much as they could otherwise, but Shohei Ohtani might be the most expensive rental of all time.

They're on thin ice with the playoffs now and with Trout still a ways away, there is no light at the end of the tunnel presently. If the team continues to lose, there's a very strong chance owner Arte Moreno can be convinced to listen to trades and pull the trigger.

Is Shohei Ohtani a trade candidate?

It would be an almost unprecedented trade and would certainly be the biggest one in modern baseball history. It's a lot more likely now than it was a few weeks ago.