Rays Made Blockbuster Trade Offer For Shohei Ohtani
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported that the Tampa Bay Rays and Los Angeles Angels engaged in serious trade discussions ahead of the 2023 MLB trade deadline that would have sent Shohei Ohtani to Tampa Bay in exchange for prospects Junior Caminero and Carson Williams.
The deal came close.
Angels owner Arte Moreno ultimately decided against it.
"Imagine if in 2023, Shohei Ohtani had unleashed his two-way prowess for the Tampa Bay Rays, if only for a few months," Rosenthal wrote. "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."
The Angels and Rays seriously discussed a blockbuster prior to the 2023 trade deadline that would have sent Shohei Ohtani to Tampa in exchange for Junior Caminero and Carson Williams, per @Ken_Rosenthal
— Just Baseball (@JustBB_Media) May 21, 2026
Angels owner Arte Moreno balked, refusing to move rental Ohtani. pic.twitter.com/LKuKiSSXce
At the time the discussions took place, Ohtani was hitting .305/.407/.680 with 39 home runs across 472 plate appearances with a 186 wRC+ while simultaneously posting a 3.43 ERA and 4.13 FIP over 120.2 innings on the mound.
The Rays were 66-44 entering August, had won 20 of their first 23 games, and were genuine American League title contenders despite losing Jeffrey Springs and Drew Rasmussen to season-ending surgeries.
Caminero and Williams were ranked first and second in the Tampa Bay system at the time, with Caminero checking in at fifth on Baseball America's overall top 100 and Williams at 22nd.
The Rays were apparently willing to include more if needed.
Moreno said no.
What the Decision Looks Like in 2026
Ohtani signed a 10-year, $700 million deal with the Dodgers in 2024 and has helped make Los Angeles the most dominant team in baseball over the past two seasons, with two World Series titles in three years.
Had the Rays traded him in 2023, he would have been a two-month rental before walking in free agency to a destination unknown.
Whether Ohtani still ends up in Los Angeles in that alternate timeline is unknowable. What is knowable is what the Rays kept by not making the deal.
Caminero hit 45 home runs in 2024, earned an All-Star selection, and won a bronze medal with the Dominican Republic at the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
Through the early weeks of the 2026 season, he has 13 home runs and 27 RBIs while anchoring a lineup that has the Rays in first place in the American League East with a 33-15 record.
As crazy as it might sound, the Rays should be thanking their lucky stars that they did not land Shohei Ohtani.
— The Athletic MLB (@TheAthleticMLB) May 21, 2026
Before the 2023 trade deadline, Tampa Bay was in serious discussions with the Angels on a deal that would have included Junior Caminero, but Arte Moreno declined the… pic.twitter.com/x413JpDQ9g
Williams has also developed into a legitimate big league contributor.
The Angels, for their part, watched Ohtani sign with the Dodgers for nothing after he spent the 2023 season in Anaheim and the organization finished 73-89, 17 games out of first place.
Photo Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images
