Another prominent voice in sports has completely whiffed on realizing the MLB does not allow for the trade of draft picks, and who it is might surprise you.
New York Yankees great and sports broadcaster Alex Rodriguez recently shared on The Bret Boone Podcast that he feels that the Los Angeles Angels should “want to get a bunch of draft picks” for superstar Shohei Ohtani, per Awful Announcing.
That’s, y’know, not possible for the Angels or any team. You really can’t trade MLB draft picks; it’s not a running gag. It is literally impossible.
Rodriguez is the second major sports figure recently who didn’t realize in the moment that the MLB doesn’t trade draft picks, joining FOX Sports personality Colin Cowherd.
You can read Rodriguez’s faulty reasoning below.
“I think here’s the thought that I would think about, if I was the Angels, I would want to get a bunch of draft picks, I want to load up my farm system,” Rodriguez said on the podcast. “If I’m the Angels, I’m saying, okay, you’re gonna take Ohtani, but I also want to give you some of my bad contract. So, if I can unload a few, or one big one, and take that off the books, plus refurnish my minor league system, get some draft picks and get maybe a piece or two? Now you got something.”
How does Rodriguez not know this? He played professional baseball! Maybe it’s just a slip of the tongue, but this is a pretty thorough take!
The Angels have already decided not to trade Ohtani this season ahead of him becoming a free agent this offseason, and the team added pitcher Lucas Giolito from the Chicago White Sox this week to bulk up for the playoffs.
The idea of Los Angeles trading Ohtani is far from reality right now, and no amounts of nontradable draft picks will change that.