Overview
- Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported Thursday that the Tampa Bay Rays and Los Angeles Angels seriously discussed trading Shohei Ohtani at the 2023 deadline in a package built around prospects Junior Caminero and Carson Williams.
- According to Rosenthal and follow‑up reporting, Angels owner Arte Moreno declined the Rays’ proposal, a choice the club made as it tried to chase a short‑term playoff push.
- Ohtani left that offseason and signed a reported 10‑year, $700 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers, leaving the Angels with no significant return for the two‑way star.
- Junior Caminero has since emerged as a young star for the Rays, bolstering the hindsight argument that the Angels passed on a long‑term building block when they refused the trade.
- The disclosure, corroborated by unnamed Angels front‑office sources in USA TODAY and widely republished coverage, has intensified questions about Anaheim’s roster strategy and ownership choices and could increase pressure for changes in the front office.