San Diego Padres: Grading this proposed Angels-Padres trade for Shohei Ohtani

Could the San Diego Padres pull off a blockbuster trade that would bring Shohei Ohtani onto the roster without giving up a plethora of prospects? One writer thinks it's possible.

Our colleague Mark Powell at FanSided.com wrote this piece detailing potential trades from across MLB that could possibly lure the Los Angeles Angels into making a deal to send away the two-way superstar. Among the teams discussed by Powell was the San Diego Padres.

Grading a hypothetical San Diego Padres trade for Shohei Ohtani

Powell suggests that the Padres could offer the Angels outfielder Juan Soto and left-handed pitching prospect Robby Snelling (ranked as the fourth-highest prospect currently in the Padres organization by MLB.com) and that would be enough to bring Ohtani to Petco Park.

What do you think? To us, that seems pretty light. After all, MLB insider Jon Morosi has already reported that any team engaging with the Angels in trade talks, "must be prepared to offer multiple top-100 type prospects to begin the conversation." Powell believes that the prospect of acquiring Soto and knowing the Angels would have him under control for one more year (he is scheduled to be a free agent at the end of the 2024 season) would wipe out the need for those multiple top 100 prospects, especially if the Angels could then sign Soto to an extension. And Snelling is ranked 82nd on MLB's top 100 prospects, so there is that as well.

Personally, I think the Padres would do this swap in a heartbeat, hoping to sign Ohtani to an extension after acquiring him and seeing the potential contract that Soto would require come off the future books as well. If San Diego could sign Ohtani, the Padres not only get a pitcher and a designated hitter, but also keep the Los Angeles Dodgers from landing Ohtani as well. That's definitely a bonus.

There are no guarantees that Soto will be a part of the future in San Diego, so trading him away for the chance of signing a generational talent certainly makes sense. Yes, it's a chance, but perhaps it's a better one than the Padres might have in free agency if Soto is still in the equation?

From the San Diego perspective, the trade grades as an easy A. From the Angels perspective, it's at the complete opposite end of the grading scale. If the Angels do trade Ohtani (and that's a big if) and then don't get a massive return that can restock its farm system and give hope for the future, it's a massive failure and one that would be remembered for generations.

What do you think? Would you do this trade if you were the Padres? Let us know on Twitter (@FriarsOnBase).