Angels nearly traded Shohei Ohtani to Rays for package headlined by Junior Caminero

Angels nearly traded Shohei Ohtani to Rays for package headlined by Junior Caminero originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . The Los Angeles Angels are one of the worst teams in the Major Leagues right now, and they're sorely lacking star power outside of Mike Trout.

Only a few years ago, they had Shohei Ohtani dominating on the mound and at the plate. But, he left in free agency after the 2023 season for the Los Angeles Dodgers , and the Angels didn't get anything of value in return for losing Ohtani. However, a report from Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic revealed the Angels missed out on a massive opportunity at the 2023 MLB trade deadline, as they had a chance to send Ohtani to the Tampa Bay Rays for a package headlined by Junior Caminero.

Angels backed out of trade with Shohei Ohtani for Junior Caminero "Imagine if he had been traded for Junior Caminero, who would now be starring at third base for the Los Angeles Angels instead of the Rays," Rosenthal writes. "A blockbuster involving those players, carrying mammoth implications for both cubs, was seriously discussed before the 2023 trade deadline, according to people briefed on conversations. " During the 2023 season, the Angels could've traded Ohtani for a massive haul, but the specifics of some of their offers weren't fully known.

But, with this report from Rosenthal, that the Angels had an offer on the table with Caminero involved, it makes their decision not to swing a trade look a lot worse. Caminero was 19 years old at the time and was not the only top prospect reported to be in this deal. Rosenthal reports that, "The other would have been shortstop Carson Williams, who was then a 20-year-old at High A.