The Atlanta Braves have recently been linked to trade rumors swirling around Angels’ mega-star Shohei Ohtani. Here are two reasons we don’t think it will happen.

The Atlanta Braves Won’t Have the Prospects to Offer

The Atlanta Braves are currently ranked as Fangraphs’ 30th best farm system. That would be dead last. Whether that ends up being true remains to be seen. However, it is a reflection of the lack of sellable, hyped talent within the system. The Braves have locked many of their top prospects up to long-term deals over the past few years, and others they have traded away.

The major league club is in a fantastic position for many years to come but the farm system will need some rebuilding. I think we all have faith in Alex Anthopoulos and the Braves organization, but it likely hurts their chances for big-name trade targets in a bidding war. With more teams making the playoffs, there will be fewer tradeable pieces on the block with even more teams vying for their services. In theory, that should drive the prices pretty high.

Don’t expect the Braves to offer any core young pieces with long-term contracts for two months of Shohei, either.

The Angels Might Not Want to Trade Shohei Ohtani

In April, word out of the Angels’ camp was that there was a “zero percent” chance Ohtani would be traded this year.

Angels’ owner Arte Moreno has expressed an interest in offering up the big bucks it will take to retain Ohtani’s services this offseason. The Angels have a track record of big contracts to big stars like Albert Pujols, Anthony Rendon, and Mike Trout.

“I just don’t know how you replace a guy like that,” Moreno told The Post. “We want to win, and it’s nice to have him in the lineup. For me, it’s about the fans.”

As explained by Jon Morosi, the Angels my not actually be considering moving Ohtani at the deadline. If they were going to maximize their return, they would have traded him last year to get a bigger haul of prospects and completely revamp their lowly farm system.

They only have two players ranked inside of MLB’s top 100 prospects right now. Trading a couple of months worth of Ohtani will certainly garner a decent return, but not as much as if they had traded him last season.

Ohtani is still on a very team-friendly contract (for being the best player in galaxy) and he draws ratings, sells tickets, and tons of merchandise. Even if the Angles don’t make the postseason, they likely will want to hold onto Ohtani… especially if they plan on making a play to sign him this offseason.

Do you think the Braves should make a play for Ohtani if he is made available? Let us know in the comments.