Shohei Ohtani Rumors: Dodgers 'Never Believed' They Could Trade for 2-Way Star

If Dodgers' fans had any dreams of Los Angeles Angels' superstar Shohei Ohtani suiting up for the crosstown rivals this season, it's time to let that dream go.

Amid reports from the New York Post's Jon Heyman that the Angels aren't willing to trade Ohtani to the Dodgers, The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal came out and said that the organization "never believed" that they'd be able to land the AL MVP front runner.

With the Angels currently out of playoff contention, Rosenthal reported that Ohtani could be dealt to any number of teams that are battling for a World Series title.

It comes after Heyman predicted a 25 percent chance Ohtani would be moved before the deadline:

A trade would be a stark turn from team owner Arte Moreno, who just a few weeks ago seemed unwilling to let him go, as he believed he'd be able to bring the two-way star back after he hits free agency this offseason.

While the Dodgers may not have a shot of getting Ohtani in blue this season, they are viewed as one of the favorites to get his signature in free agency, per Heyman, who believes Ohtani wants to stay on the West Coast.

Ohtani, 28, is arguably the greatest talent the game has ever seen and therefore the biggest target of this year's trade deadline on Aug. 1. He'll be owed $10 million for the rest of the season but that'll be money well-spent for any organization that seriously has their eyes on a deep October run.

A lot of pundits believe that it'd be in the Angels' best interest to trade Ohtani and start a rebuild instead of losing him for nothing in the winter. It's been reported that the franchise would want a package of "multiple top-100 type prospects to begin the conversation"

If an organization believes they'd be able to keep Ohtani instead of just renting him for the last half of the season, those prospects would be a worthwhile sacrifice.

In 92 games this season, he is hitting .301/.386/.655 with a league-leading 34 homers and 73 RBI. On the mound, he's gone 7-5 in 18 starts with a 3.50 ERA and 1.120 WHIP.

He'd be a transformative player for any organization that's able to acquire him, immediately putting them among the favorites to win the World Series.