All eyes on the Blue Jays and Angels this weekend in what could be Shohei Ohtani’s last series with L.A.

This year, the MLB Trade Deadline is slated to come at 6:00 pm EST on August 1st, with numerous teams looking to either buy or sell as the days grow closer to the fateful day, with more clubs looking to buy with the Wild Card races so close in both the AL and NL.
The Blue Jays appear to be buyers heading into the deadline, sitting third in the AL East and 6.5 games back of the Baltimore Orioles while in sole position of the third Wild Card spot, with the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees, just two games back heading into Monday night.
For the Jays, the club is potentially looking for a right-handed bat to help solve the opposing lefty-pitching woes while another arm or two would be a benefit as well, although the rotation will be getting a boost with Hyun Jin Ryu slated to return shortly while Chad Green is poised to join the bullpen likely sometime in August. The club has already made a move for Génesis Cabrera, trading prospect Sammy Hernandez to the Cardinals in exchange for the fireballing southpaw, but it wouldn’t be surprising if the club decided to add another veteran arm into the bullpen to help down the stretch.
Across the league, the biggest news is currently found on the west coast, as the Los Angeles Angels are currently on the fence as to whether they are going to trade Shohei Ohtani, one of the top players on the planet.
Blue Jays and Angels Face Off Just Before the Trade Deadline
Ohtani, who is free agent eligible this offseason, is on a tear again this season, currently authoring a 3.71 ERA through 19 starts on the mound while putting forth a league-leading .672 SLG, a 1.072 OPS, and 36 home runs, once again in contention for the AL MVP Award again this year. Should the Angels decide to trade Ohtani, he will instantly make any team he is traded to an instant contender given his two abilities and his presence in the batter’s box.
Interestingly enough, should the Angels decide to hold onto Ohtani until the very last few days of July, Jays fans will get an opportunity to watch the Japanese superstar in person at the Rogers Centre, as Los Angeles will be in Toronto from July 28th to July 30th for a three-game weekend series. There is a chance that Blue Jays fans could see Ohtani in an Angels uniform for the last time when the two sides face off later this week, a club that will be heading north of the border likely without prominent players such as Mike Trout, Anthony Rendon, and Logan O’Hoppe, all of whom are on the IL.
As of right now, the Angels are still within striking distance of a playoff spot, sitting 7.5 games back of the Texas Rangers in the AL West while only 4.5 games back of the Blue Jays for the third Wild Card spot heading into action on Tuesday but the chances of them making the playoffs are indeed slim.
There is a chance the club decides to hang onto Ohtani to try and make the playoffs, although they risk losing him this offseason for nothing as the two-way superstar is likely going to command the biggest contract in baseball history. The organization is currently listening to offers in regards to trade proposals from rival clubs but likely nothing will happen until closer to the deadline to try and maximize return should Ohtani be available.
Regardless of what happens, the scouting presence in Toronto is likely going to be high this upcoming weekend and tickets for the series are already flying off of Ticketmaster as fans are anticipating this could be Shohei Ohtani’s last hurrah with the Angels.
ARTICLE PRESENTED BY BETANO

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