Angels Foolishly Turned Down Blockbuster Trade for Shohei Ohtani
The Los Angeles Angels turned down a trade for superstar Shohei Ohtani at the 2023 MLB trade deadline that would have completely turned the sport of baseball upside down.
According to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, the Angels and the Tampa Bay Rays were in deep discussions about a trade sending Ohtani to the small-market Rays. In return for Ohtani, the Angels would have landed third base prospect Junior Caminero, plus shortstop prospect Carson Williams.
However, Angels owner Arte Moreno stepped in and blocked the trade, refusing to send Ohtani to the Rays. Instead, the Angels held onto their superstar pitcher/DH, only to lose him to free agency a few months later when he signed a monster contract for 10 years and $700 million with the crosstown rival Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Angels Blew It
Now that we know how the whole saga with Ohtani played out, we can safely say that the Angels blew it. Instead of getting Caminero, who is one of the most powerful sluggers in baseball right now, the team held onto Ohtani and only got a compensatory draft pick when Ohtani signed with the Dodgers, since he was given a qualifying offer from the Angels that he rejected.
Related: The Next Shohei Ohtani May Already Be Stateside
That was the 74th overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, which the Angels used to select Ryan Johnson out of Dallas Baptist University. So far, Johnson has pitched 18 MLB games, posting a 1-2 record with a 10.17 ERA and -1.5 bWAR. He's only 23, so Johnson has time to turn things around. But right now, he looks like a bust, and he's the only compensation the Angels received when Ohtani left.
Instead, the Angels could have gotten Caminero, who has blossomed into one of MLB's top third-base sluggers the last few years. Last season, the 22-year-old Caminero hit 45 home runs with a 130 OPS+ for the Rays and posted 4.4 bWAR, while making the All-Star team for the first time in his career. This season, Caminero has continued to be hot with his stick, hitting 13 homers with a 142 OPS+. He also makes the league minimum salary as a pre-arbitration eligible player.
Dodgers Are the Big Winners
With Ohtani leaving the Angels, he instead signed a historic contract in free agency with the Dodgers. He was given 10 years and $700 million, though much of that money is deferred. Still, it was the biggest contract in MLB history at the time he signed it, though the deal has since been surpassed by Juan Soto's mega deal with the New York Mets for 15 years and $765 million.
With the Dodgers, Ohtani has been absolutely incredible. In his first two seasons in LA, Ohtani won the MVP award both seasons, while winning the World Series in both years, as well. He hit 109 homers in his first two seasons with the Dodgers, while posting 15.6 bWAR. He also pitched in 2025 for the team, though he did not pitch at all for them in 2024 after undergoing Tommy John Surgery.
However, Ohtani's elbow is now fully healthy, and he's back to pitching for the Dodgers full-time in 2026. This year, he is 4-2 with a 0.73 ERA in 8 games and 49 IP for the Dodgers. Plus, he's still hitting as well, as he's posted a 150 OPS+ so far this season. His power is a bit down with just 8 home runs, but it's still only May, so expect him to hit between 30 and 40 homers when it's all said and done.
In the end, the big winner from the Ohtani saga is the Dodgers, who are the best team in baseball and who have the best player in the game signed for the next eight years. The Rays, too, are winners, as Caminero has blossomed into one of the best third basemen in baseball. But the Angels are massive losers, as they turned down the opportunity to get a fantastic 3B prospect only to lose Ohtani in free agency and basically get nothing in return.
Related: Juan Soto Sends Message to Shohei Ohtani
Copyright 2026 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
This story was originally published May 21, 2026 at 9:04 AM.