Cardinals listed as betting favorites to land Shohei Ohtani if traded

The Los Angeles Angels are listening to trade offers for Shohei Ohtani for what might be the first time ever. While it seems extremely unlikely that they end up trading Ohtani, a surprising team is listed as the favorite to acquire the star in the case of a trade.

Sportsbetting.ag has listed odds for Ohtani’s next team if he is traded. The St. Louis Cardinals have the lowest odds, making them the favorite. The other teams on the list include the Yankees, Dodgers, Padres, Mets, Blue Jays and White Sox.

Here is the list of trade odds:

• St. Louis Cardinals +200
• New York Yankees +250
• Los Angeles Dodgers +300
• San Diego Padres +400
• New York Mets +550
• Toronto Blue Jays +1000
• Chicago White Sox +1200

Why might the Cardinals be favored to land Ohtani if he is dealt? Likely because of their farm system.

The Cardinals have some attractive minor league prospects like third baseman Jordan Walker, shortstop Masyn Winn and pitcher Matthew Liberatore. If the Angels were to trade Ohtani, which seems unlikely, they reportedly are looking for four top prospects.

Ohtani is set to become a free agent after the 2023 season. The Angels’ struggles since the reigning AL MVP signed with the team could lead him to seek to play for a contender.