3 ways the SF Giants could force a trade for Shohei Ohtani

Before things get too out of hand, lets be clear: the San Francisco Giants trading for Shohei Ohtani is very unlikely. The Angels are still kinda hanging around in the American League West and while it does sound like LA will listen to offers on him, Shohei's insane value as a two-way player and the fact that the Angels don't want to be known as the team that traded him away makes a deal all but impossible.

The Giants' desire to bring in a big name has been well-documented over the last couple of years. They pursued Aaron Judge before he re-signed with the Yankees and Carlos Correa would have been a Giant if he hadn't failed a physical. There are even Giants players like Alex Cobb predicting that the team will bring Ohtani to San Francisco already ($). There is obvious interest from the Giants, but getting a deal done seems far from easy.

The only way for San Francisco to even get their foot in the door in trade negotiations is to swing big. Sure, Ohtani is a free agent after this season, but he is literally the only player in the league that is a frontline starter and elite power hitter all in one.

Here is how the SF Giants could force a trade for Shohei Ohtani

If the Giants want to make this trade happen, it is going to have to look like a win for the Angels and that is easier said than done. If the Angels trade Ohtani, it would effectively torpedo any chance of making the playoffs this season. Any hope that a trade package that looks like it is for a rental player will not come close to getting the job done and frankly...giving up that much for Ohtani unless the Giants have confidence that they can keep him may be unwise.

However, there are ways for the Giants to force the Angels to consider their future. We aren't saying the Giants need to do ALL of these things to trade for Ohtani, but simply that these options could individually be the start of conversations that could get a deal done against all odds. Here is a look at how the Giants could force LA's hand on Shohei Ohtani.

The Giants could build a package around Kyle Harrison

Normally, trading a borderline top 10 prospect in all of baseball like Kyle Harrison for a guy that could be a free agent at the end of season is not a good idea. However, there is nothing normal about Shohei Ohtani and to get the Angels' attention, the Giants need to be willing to part with big time talent.

Harrison has almost everything you want from a pitching prospect. He has three pitches that at least flash plus, is already at Triple-A knocking at the door of the big leagues, and he does so with his left arm which never hurts. His command can be a bit spotty at times, but the upside is undeniable.

This would be a tough pill for the Giants to swallow, but Ohtani may be worth it. San Francisco is in need of another starting pitcher and Harrison appeared to be a mortal lock to get called up soon. However, a hamstring injury right before the All-Star break is delaying his big league debut. Ohtani would immediately give the rotation arm the Giants need plus the added bonus of also getting one of the better power bats in the entire league.

What is crazy is that Harrison probably wouldn't be enough to get a deal done, but a package centered around him is a good place to start. The nice thing about Ohtani is that he fills two needs which makes the initial investment required feel better if you think about trading for him as trading for two elite players.

Putting Marco Luciano and Luis Matos on the table could give the Giants a shot at landing Ohtani

While the Angels have been active in trying to bring more pitching into their organization, there is a chance that they will want to avoid pitching prospects being the centerpiece of any Ohtani trade. No matter how good a pitching prospect is, they are always incredibly risky between the jump in competition as well the usual injury risk.

If that is where the Angels' heads are at, the Giants still have the pieces to make a deal work with five of their top 10 prospects being on the position player side. In particular, Luis Matos and Marco Luciano could be very attractive to the Angels as well-known commodities with tons of upside.

Matos got called up to the big leagues earlier this season and has been pretty good, but his hit tool should be able to carry him to even greater heights. Marco Luciano has been one of the Giants' best prospects for a while now and while he has largely struggled at Double-A this season, he has played much better recently and still has the same tools including special raw power he has always had.

To make the Angels consider a trade for Ohtani, it is possible that San Francisco may have to offer both Matos and Luciano and that may be too much for them to stomach. However, If you were to say the Giants gave up Luciano for a high-end starter and Matos for an elite power bat, it makes more sense.

To give up this kind of package, though, the Giants would probably need some level of assurance that Ohtani is at least strongly considering signing long-term with the Giants as giving up long-term options at shortstop and in the outfield is a lot to give up.