Shohei Ohtani may very well stay in Anaheim until he reaches free agency following the 2023 season. But if the Angels are being real with themselves, they may determine that it's in their best interest to trade him now. If so, the San Francisco Giants are as logical a destination as any for the two-way Japanese superstar. Looking at the Red Sox's Mookie Betts as a comparison, what would the SF Giants have to give up to acquire Ohtani?
The Dodgers gave up Alex Verdugo, Jeter Downs, and Connor Wong, and took on half of the $96 million owed to David Price over the three seasons left on his deal, in order to acquire one season of Betts. The Giants' rivals then extended Betts to a 12-year, $365 million contract, keeping the star outfielder in Los Angeles for the rest of his career. A comparable package from the Giants would look something like Thairo Estrada, Luis Matos, Brett Auerbach, and $48 million over three years. Anthony Rendon's contract could be used as a somewhat similar comp to what Price was owed, but it's not exactly the same. That hypothetical price might seem light, but remember that it's just one year of Ohtani. There's no guarantee he would agree to an extension.
All of this is fantasy, of course. The Angels likely won't trade Ohtani, even though it may be in their best long-term interest. And even if they did trade him, there would be 29 other teams willing to give up big returns for his services. Remember, however, that people didn't think Boston would trade Betts, but they did. In a dream offseason scenario—if we're allowed to just dream for a minute—how about Ohtani and Aaron Judge on the San Francisco Giants. Can you even imagine?
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The best daily San Francisco Giants podcast. Whether the Giants are winning championships or retooling for another title run, Locked On Giants host Ben Kaspick—a lifelong Giants fan and former contributor for RotoGraphs and Beyond the Box Score—breaks down every game, rumor, and transaction in a way that's data-driven and rational but also simple, passionate, and accessible to all.
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