Report: Rays and Angels Held Ohtani Trade Talks Before 2023 Deadline

The proposed deal would have sent top prospects Junior Caminero and Carson Williams to the Angels, along with lesser pieces.

The Tampa Bay Rays and Los Angeles Angels engaged in trade talks for Shohei Ohtani before the 2023 trade deadline, according to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal. Owner Arte Moreno reportedly decided against the trade despite the team being out of playoff contention and Ohtani approaching free agency.

The Proposed Package

The Rays offered a package headlined by Junior Caminero and Carson Williams, both of whom were top-100 prospects at the time. The Angels had listened to offers for Ohtani in both 2022 and 2023, though general manager Perry Minasian stated after the 2022 deadline that no deal was close.

What Happened Instead

The Angels kept Ohtani through the 2023 season. He suffered a UCL tear in August 2023, limiting him to hitting only for the remainder of the year. The team finished 73-89 that season.

Since Ohtani's departure, the results have been stark: The Angels have lost at least 89 games in each of the first three seasons after he left.

How the Prospects Fared

• Junior Caminero made the 2025 All-Star team and finished ninth in AL MVP voting after hitting 45 home runs.
• Carson Williams has posted a .161/.206/.315 slash line in 41 MLB games as of 2026.

The Bigger Picture

MLB.com's Joel Reuter ranked the Angels' farm system fourth-worst entering 2026.

The decision to hold Ohtani rather than cash in on a major prospect haul continues to shape the franchise's trajectory, leaving the Angels with both a depleted roster and a struggling pipeline for years to come.