The Los Angeles Angels are expected to think long and hard about parting with Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani prior to the Aug. 1 Major League Baseball trade deadline. Ohtani can become a free agent at the end of the season, and the Angels risk losing him with nothing in return.

So, between now and the end of July, expect all eyes to be on what the best baseball reporters are reporting with regard to this two-way player who is the closest thing to Babe Rush we have seen in generations. That is because Ohtani pitches every sixth day and plays in the regular lineup on other days.

Not only that, but he has an outside shot at breaking Aaron Judge’s new AL home run record, and he is the -800 favorite to be voted American League Most Valuable Player. To have odds like that at midseason is almost unheard of.

What if he gets traded to a National League team? Well, that would be bad news for anyone who believed Ohtani was an AL MVP lock.

Stay tuned on that one and on other baseball trade talk as the deadline approaches.

What is the 2023 MLB trade deadline?

The MLB trade deadline is the last point during the season at which players can be traded from one club to another.

What time is the MLB trade deadline?

The 2023 trade deadline is Aug. 1 at 6 p.m. ET. Prior to the most recent collective bargaining agreement, the trade deadline almost always fell on July 31 at 4 p.m. ET.

What was the biggest trade-deadline acquisition in MLB history?

That is a matter of debate, but the 2022 trade of Juan Soto from the Washington Nationals to the San Diego Padres was considered one of the biggest ever because of Soto’s generational potential. Time will tell if it pans out for the Padres and brings them that elusive first title, so it is not yet Top 10 material. But stay tuned.

"We set the bar very, very high, and one team exceeded it, and that's the deal we made," Washington general manager Mike Rizzo said. "Props to the San Diego Padres. They're not afraid, and ownership's not afraid, and A.J. Preller's not afraid, and they were aggressive -- and we made a deal that you call historical."

Ranking the Top 10 Best MLB Trade Deadline Deals of all time

  1. Michael Young and Darwin Cubillan from the Toronto Blue Jays to the Texas Rangers for Esteban Loaiza (July 19, 2000)

Blue Jays fans consider this the worst deal in team history. Michael Young wasn't thought of as a top prospect when the Rangers netted him for Esteban Loaiza in 2000. However, he emerged as one of the game's best hitters during his career, making seven All-Star Game appearances and leading the league in hits twice. Young hit .300 for his career over 14 seasons and also hit more than 20 home runs four times.

  1. Orlando Cabrera and Doug Mientkiewicz to the Boston Red Sox for Nomar Garciaparra (July 31, 2004)

This was a four-team trade in which Doug Mientkiewicz came from the Minnesota Twins and Orlando Cabrera from the Montreal Expos as Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein traded away an All-Star on the decline in Garciaparra, who went to the Chicago Cubs. This deal played a huge role in Boston ending its World Series drought in 2004, while Garciaparra spent only 1½ seasons in Chicago before signing with the Dodgers.

  1. Matt Holliday from the Oakland Athletics to the St. Louis Cardinals for Brett Wallace, Shane Peterson, and Clayton Mortensen (July 24, 2009)

Oakland's offseason acquisition of Holliday from Colorado didn't work out, so the team traded the outfielder at the deadline as he headed toward free agency. None of the three prospects Oakland received in the deal did much in the majors, but Holliday became a franchise player in St. Louis over the next eight seasons with four All-Star Game appearances and one World Series title.

  1. Johnny Cueto from the Cincinnati Reds to the Kansas City Royals for Brandon Finnegan, John Lamb, and Cody Reed (July 26, 2015)

The Royals made their second consecutive playoff run in 2015, this time after acquiring Cueto for the stretch run of his walk year in exchange for young pitchers Finnegan, Lamb, and Reed. Cueto struggled in 13 regular-season starts but came up big in the playoffs, including a complete-game win in the World Series.

  1. C.C. Sabathia from the Cleveland Indians to the Milwaukee Brewers for four prospects (July 7, 2008)

The Brewers went all in when they were in playoff contention in 2008, trading prospects Rob Bryson, Zach Jackson, Matt LaPorta, and Michael Brantley to Cleveland for C.C. Sabathia. The left-handed ace was tremendous down the stretch for the Brewers, going 11-2 with a 1.65 ERA in 17 starts that included seven complete games. Of the prospects Milwaukee traded, only Brantley panned out.

  1. Gleyber Torres, Rashad Crawford, Billy McKinney, and Adam Warren from the Chicago Cubs to the New York Yankees for Aroldis Chapman (July 25, 2016)

With Chapman headed toward free agency, the Yankees cashed in by acquiring Torres, who was arguably the best shortstop prospect in the game and a player who made the AL All-Star team in each of his first two seasons in the Bronx. Chapman helped the Cubs win the World Series before returning to the Yankees on a five-year, $86 million deal in the offseason.

  1. Mark McGwire from the Oakland Athletics to the St. Louis Cardinals for T.J. Mathews, Eric Ludwick, and Blake Stein (July 31, 1997)

While St. Louis didn't have great on-field success after acquiring Mark McGwire from Oakland, the move certainly resulted in plenty of attention coming the Cardinals’ way. St. Louis traded reliever T.J. Mathews and two prospects to the A's for McGwire, and none of those three made a significant impact for Oakland. Meanwhile, McGwire re-signed with the Cardinals and had a historic, record-breaking 70 home-run season in 1998, followed by 65 more home runs in 1999.

  1. Curt Schilling from the Philadelphia Phillies to the Arizona Diamondbacks for Omar Daal, Nelson Figueroa, Travis Lee, and Vicente Padilla (July 26, 2000)

Arizona shipped a package of four players to Philadelphia for Schilling in 2000. Although the package was productive for the Phils -- including Daal, Lee, and Padilla -- Schilling joined Randy Johnson to win the World Series for the Diamondbacks in 2001. During the 2001 and 2002 seasons in Arizona, Schilling finished second in the NL Cy Young voting, averaging 258 innings and winning a total of 45 games.

  1. Randy Johnson from the Seattle Mariners to the Houston Astros for Freddy Garcia, Carlos Guillen, and John Halama (July 31, 1998)

This was when The “Big Unit” was most dominant, and his two months in Houston were something else. Johnson went 10-1 with a 1.28 ERA in 11 starts, giving up just 12 runs on 57 hits with 26 walks and 116 strikeouts in 84⅓ innings. He went on to allow just three earned runs with 17 strikeouts in 14 NL Division Series innings.

  1. Mark Teixeira from the Atlanta Braves to the Los Angeles Angels for Casey Kotchman and Stephen Marek (July 29, 2008)

Batting third in the Angels order, Mark Teixeira hit .358 with 13 home runs and 43 RBIs after this trade to help his new team achieve the first 100-win season in franchise history. Through 2011, Teixeira was one of seven major-leaguers to have had at least four 30-homer, 100-RBI seasons in their first five years. The Angels advanced to the American League Division Series against the Red Sox, and Teixeira continued to contribute, going 7-for-15 with four walks and four runs scored. That offseason, Los Angeles lost Teixeira to a Yankees team that signed him to an eight-year, $180 million contract. Still, this was a steal.

Parameters of Rankings

Nothing gets fans excited like hope, which is why the offseason in most sports draws so much attention … everyone has a chance next season. But trade-deadline deals are different, because a player in the final year of a contract is a commodity that must be traded or locked up, and sometimes teams know something they will not disclose to their fans: The guy is going to leave. So, in determining these rankings, we went with the acquisitions that brought the biggest immediate impacts, especially when they involved superstar MLB players.

Bet on MLB Odds at Betway

Find MLB odds throughout the season on the Betway sportsbook. You'll find all the latest run lines, totals, money lines, parlays and MLB futures. Or call it how you see it with our live betting in-play. All your MLB betting needs are covered in our online sportsbook.

Visit Betway’s MLB picks page for best bets and predictions throughout the season.

WELCOME OFFER: Earn up to $250 on bonus bets with your first wager. Download Betway Sportsbook today!