With the trade deadline approaching, here are the latest MLB rumors about Shohei Ohtani, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Kansas City Royals.
MLB Rumors: Angels unlikely to trade Shohei Ohtani
Despite the Los Angeles Angels' recent slide, the expectation remains that Shohei Ohtani will not be traded ahead of the July 31 MLB trade deadline.
If the Angels were to trade Ohtani now, they would surely get a fraction of what he's worth considering that 1) he's on an expiring contract and 2) dealing with a nagging fingernail/blister issue. If the Angels were ever to trade Ohtani, the time was to do it last year when he had 1.5 years of control remaining on his contract. Such a deal would have landed them a Juan Soto-like haul and set them up to be competitive in future seasons.
Still, teams will surely check in on Ohtani to see if the Angels' stance has changed. But the expectation has, and remains, that the superstar two-way player will remain in Anaheim for the 2023 season, with the most intriguing free agency in baseball history looming in the offseason.
MLB Rumors: What the Dodgers will target at the trade deadline
The Los Angeles Dodgers are expected to target pitching — both starting and relief — at the trade deadline. One name that rivals have speculated could be a potential fit is Kansas City Royals reliever Scott Barlow.
Barlow, 30, has a 3.20 ERA in six career seasons and is signed through the 2025 season. He would address a big weakness in the Dodgers' bullpen, but president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman has typically avoided trading resources for relief pitching in the past, so a potential trade could be unlikely.
Still, Barlow is someone that the Dodgers have been interested in previously. Another area that the team is expected to pursue is a right-handed bat with Chris Taylor's status uncertain, manager Dave Roberts told reporters.
MLB Rumors: The Kansas City Royals are not done making trades
The Kansas City Royals have been one of the most aggressive teams on the trade market, evidenced by the trade that sent Aroldis Chapman to the Texas Rangers.
And they aren't done.
The Royals have plenty of intriguing trade pieces, notably Scott Barlow, Salvador Perez and Zack Greinke, among others. Barlow has already been the topic of trade conversations, according to sources familiar with the talks. The Royals have "no intention of trading" Perez, general manager JJ Picollo said.
Greinke, 39, is an interesting potential trade candidate considering the lack of options available on the starting pitching market. He should attract interest, but a deal becomes more complicated since he's on the Injured List. But even if he was healthy, a trade may have been considered unlikely since his contract contains a full no-trade clause, and he likes being in Kansas City.