


The Orioles now own the AL’s best record — and they’ve got their sights on the game’s best player.
The Orioles, along with the Diamondbacks, have joined the group of teams checking in on Angels’ phenom Shohei Ohtani, should the Angels make the AL MVP favorite available before the Aug. 1 trade deadline, according to a report from MLB network.
The report indicated that both teams are doing their due diligence and both have enough quality prospects to potentially make a blockbuster deal.
The Orioles’ inquiries about Ohtani, 29, show that they could be ready to make their playoff push as they attempt to end a seven-year postseason drought.
The Orioles recently passed the Rays for the AL’s best record, winning three of four this past weekend in Tampa, and lead the AL East by 2.5 games (four in the loss column). Their playoff odds are 90.3 percent, according to Fangraphs.
Baltimore is stocked with young talent like catcher Adley Rutschman, third baseman Gunnar Henderson and starter Grayson Rodriguez, and a top farm system led by MLB.com’s No. 1 prospect in Jackson Holliday, son of former Rockies and Yankees outfielder Matt Holliday.
Ohtani, who is in the last year of his contract, obviously fits on any roster, but the Orioles lack a true ace and need pitching help.
As the Orioles are surging while they check in on Ohtani, the Diamondbacks are regressing and have coughed up their NL West lead.
Arizona trails the Dodgers in the NL West by four games and is in a three-way tie for the final two wild-card spots, along with the Giants and Marlins.
The Diamondbacks are just 2-8 since the All-Star break and have lost five straight games.
Arizona needs starting pitching help and could use a thumper in the middle of its lineup in its quest to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2017.
While teams check in with the Angels, it remains to be seen if owner Arte Moreno will give general manager Perry Minasian the green light to trade the game’s best player.
The Angels (51-49) are 4 1/2 games behind the Blue Jays for the third AL wild-card spot and their playoff odds are just 13.4 percent, per Fangraphs.
They seemingly have a long road to climb to make the playoffs, but it all comes down to whether Moreno would be willing to actually move Ohtani.
If he does, the Orioles and Diamondbacks are among the teams ready to pounce.