New details are emerging about the Padres’ pursuit of a Shohei Ohtani trade

Both the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers reportedly expressed interest in trading for Shohei Ohtani in the summer of 2022, when the Los Angeles Angels briefly entertained the idea of ​​moving him, but owner Arte Moreno ultimately decided to end those pursuits. discussions

Although both teams could offer many packages, San Diego Padres were in prime position to get Ohtani.

Instead, they traded for Juan Soto.

John Gaiman of the New York Post speculates that the Padres were willing to offer an even bigger package for Ohtani than they did for Soto. It’s hard to beat this potential deal, especially with a very aggressive GM AJ Preller at the helm.

Fast forward to 2024 and the Padres are watching Soto of the Yankees and Ohtani of the Dodgers in the World Series.

Signed last winter for $700 million, Ohtani made history as the first player to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a single season and is expected to be the unanimous National League MVP. In his first postseason, the 30-year-old had three home runs, 10 RBI and an .863 OPS over 13 games in Los Angeles’ playoff run.

He went 1-for-8 in the first two games of the World Series against the Yankees, scoring the tying run in Game 1 that led to an improbable 6-3 victory.

In the second game, he injured his left shoulder sliding into second base on a slide attempt. He left the game and remained in Los Angeles for further tests, while the rest of the team flew to New York on Saturday night.

“As far as the test results, we’ve got doctors all over the place — I don’t have any,” manager Dave Roberts said in his press conference before the team’s practice at Yankee Stadium on Sunday night. “It’s more about the coaching staff. Shohei (was) feeling good this morning, had range of motion, strength.”

Roberts expressed optimism that Ohtani will successfully complete his workout and start as the designated hitter in Monday’s Game 3. He noted that the injury affected Ohtani’s back shoulder during his swing, rather than his right shoulder, which can be more difficult for the left-handed hitter to control.

“He’s still got to work out and swing the bat, but again, he’s feeling better today than he did yesterday, and we’re assuming he’ll feel better tomorrow than he did today,” Roberts said. “So that’s what I’m counting on.”