MLB Trade Rumors: Angels Reaching Out to Potential Sellers amid Shohei Ohtani Rumors

Are the Los Angeles Angels going to be buyers at the trade deadline instead of Shohei Ohtani sellers?

The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reported on Tuesday that "while all clubs are exercising due diligence in trade discussions, it's notable that in recent days, the Angels have reached out to potential sellers, expressing interest in certain available players."

At 52-49, the Angels sit 6.5 games behind the Texas Rangers in the AL West and four games back of the Toronto Blue Jays for the final AL Wild Card berth. It's a tall task, though the team is 7-3 since the All-Star break and players like Mike Trout, Brandon Drury and Logan O'Hoppe will eventually return from the injured list.

So the team may not be willing to give up on a playoff berth just yet. Certainly, being buyers at the deadline and finally playing baseball in October may prove to Ohtani that the Angels are not only committed to being routine contenders, but actually capable of pulling it off.

If the Angels don't trade Ohtani ahead of the Aug. 1 deadline, it will surely come down to a strong belief that they can re-sign him this winter. Otherwise, they risk losing him in free agency without getting anything in return, a devastating outcome given his status as the most impactful player in baseball and the overwhelming favorite to win the AL MVP award.

At the moment, there is mixed reporting about what the Angels intend to do with Ohtani:

"I think they definitely have to figure out what they might be able to get for him," a National League executive told Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. "It would be a haul. They have to figure out what his value is. That can be franchise-defining."

"You're getting an ace and arguably the best hitter in the game in one player," an AL executive added. "He's as big a difference-maker as there is in the game. If you don't think you can sign him [after the season], you have to think about trading him."

But Rosenthal reported on Monday that "the chances of an Ohtani trade appear increasingly slim, not that it was ever likely in the first place," while adding that he seriously doubted owner Arte Moreno would want to "deprive his fans of seeing a potential 60-homer season—and deprive himself of the additional revenue such a chase would generate."

Become buyers at the deadline and either missing out on the playoffs, losing Ohtani in free agency or both would be brutal. But trading the most uniquely gifted player since Babe Ruth wouldn't be much better.