The Atlanta Braves should be considered World Series favorites, but Shohei Ohtani's trade deadline fate could drastically change the landscape.
If you're asking me, Shohei Ohtani is a Los Angeles Angels player on August 2nd. I completely understand why he, as a possible trade piece, is getting traction in the national MLB rumors conversation right now, and even further, I understand why the Los Angeles Angels are taking calls.
They have to. There's a strong likelihood that Ohtani, quite possibly the best baseball player in a century, walks for nothing at the end of this season as a free agent. Cashing in while you can? You might as well.
But the flip side is that you'll forever be the franchise that traded away a generational, if not multi-decade-defining player.
Whoever gets Ohtani only guarantees his spot on their roster for the remainder of the year. They can hope all they want that they could convince him to stick around in free agency, with no guarantees. Ohtani has a specific wish list, and it limits his ideal teams to just a select few.
All teams should at least be checking the price on Ohtani. One team is being tabbed as a possible sleeper that could completely ruin the Braves' glorious 2023 season so far.
Tampa Bay Rays labeled as a 'sleeper' team for Shohei Ohtani trade
Buster Onley on ESPN on Thursday on Pardon the Interruption said that one team sticks out as a sleeper to possibly jump into the Ohtani sweepstakes, the Tampa Bay Rays.
"If they decide to trade him before the deadline, a team to watch, the Tampa Bay Rays. You talk with executives with other teams and they say Tampa Bay has the sort of prospect package that they could put together that could interest the Angels."
Tampa Bay came out of the gate hot this season, winning 13 games straight to start the year. They led the AL East for much of the season and just recently conceded the lead to the Orioles.
What better way to get back on track than to land the two-way superstar in Ohtani?
Now, what does this have to do with the Atlanta Braves?
Well, the Braves would love to see Ohtani stay in the American League in some respects. It reduces the likelihood they'll have to face him in a playoff scenario. But if he is to go to an AL team, the last one you want to see, at least right now, is the Rays.
While anything can happen in postseason baseball, Atlanta is good enough that an NL loss would be a massive disappointment. The biggest obstacle they want to face is the World Series, and while you have to handle what's in front of you first, they are surely eyeing the title.
The Rays, as-is, are manageable for Atlanta. While they look to be the most talented team in the American League — though keep an eye on teams like the Rangers — they sit substantially below the Braves in every conceivable metric. Atlanta also took two out of three in their series against Tampa earlier this season.
But add Ohtani to the mix, and suddenly you don't like the Braves' chances against the perceivably best team in the AL. He takes them to a completely new stratosphere on both sides of the ball, and creates a completely new talent dyanmic.
Braves-Rays for all the marbles with Ohtani on the other end against Atlanta would be a ton of fun. But it would surely increase the anxiety, as well. The upside is if the Braves won such a series, there would be zero doubt about their deserving of that title.
