Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that the Angels have received calls regarding two-way star Shohei Ohtani, but Los Angeles "would seek established major leaguers" in return as opposed to prospects, in hopes of "trying to fulfill their goal of returning to the postseason as quickly as possible."
The Angels' approach is somewhat different from other franchises. Rosenthal pointed to another team fielding trade offers for a star: the Washington Nationals. In discussions for outfielder Juan Soto, the Nationals are reportedly seeking "a combination of prospects and major leaguers with low service time" to try to build for the future.
"To meet that price, one club official said, 'you would have to rip up your farm system,'" Rosenthal wrote.
By reportedly seeking established MLB stars in exchange for Ohtani or outfielder Mike Trout, the Angels in essence would be asking a contender to shred its major league roster. It's unlikely that a team in the running for a pennant would be willing to meet their asking price.
Rosenthal noted that "if the Angels are going to move Ohtani, it probably would not happen until this offseason, when teams would be in better position to replace players they trade." However, he added that it's hard to imagine Los Angeles receiving equal compensation for the reining American League MVP.
> https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10043150-shohei-ohtani-trade-rumors-angels-would-seek-established-mlb-players-in-deal?share=other