Arte Moreno made clear in a brief interview at the MLB owners’ meeting how he’s viewing two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani, and specifically what he thinks about the idea of trading him.
“I just don’t know how you replace a guy like that,” Moreno told The Post. “We want to win, and it’s nice to have him in the lineup. For me, it’s about the fans.”
Moreno was disinclined from the start to trade Ohtani, and the Angels are 38-30 and in wild-card position. He told us in February he’s still hoping to sign Ohtani long term, and though rivals see that as a long shot, he does have a history of spending on superstars (Mike Trout twice, Albert Pujols, Anthony Rendon).
Angels president John Carpino, in a separate interview, said, “We have a very good team, and our goal is to be in the postseason with Shohei in our lineup. And a team with Trout and Ohtani provides excitement to the fan base and the organization.”
The Guardians are seen as a team that could sell considering their small market and recent history of outperforming, which gives them credibility with fans. Shane Bieber would be the top attraction, but Aaron Civale is pitching well, too.
Eduardo Rodriguez, who will return soon (via agent Gene Mato) and has an opt-out after the year, is the Tigers’ big trade piece. And one rival called rotation mate Michael Lorenzen “sure to go.”
The last-place Red Sox look like an excellent candidate to sell, with several useful players on short-term deals — including Kiké Hernandez, Justin Turner, Kenley Jansen, Chris Martin and Adam Duvall.