The New York Yankees have still one of the best records in the MLB this season, but it has been obvious they are not ready to compete for a World Series crown.

Aaron Judge has been out for a long period, and the franchise relies heavily on the production he brings to the table. Starting pitchers like Nestor Cortes Jr. and Carlos Rodon are also injured, which has limited the Yankees'  opportunity to rise up the American League standings.

All those absences coupled with the struggles of stars like Giancarlo Stanton and Josh Donaldson have been a tough pill to swallow, so look for New York to be be very active leading up to the 2023 MLB trade deadline. Shohei Ohtani is the best player and biggest name in baseball today, and there is a plausible chance he can be available before August 1st.

The Los Angeles Angels are finally competing for a playoff spot this time around, though, so they may give it one last shot with Ohtani before trying to convince him to stay with the organization in free agency. Losing Ohtani for nothing after this season would be disastrous, so they must consider pondering New York's best offer trade offer for the Japanese superstar.