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.
People were in disbelief.
MLB strictly forbids teams from doing so. This also shows the danger of having former players as the be-all, end-all authority on the sport they played: some understand the business aspects, others just make stuff up. https://t.co/EQCczx5tnp
— Ross Wilkers (@rosswilkers) July 28, 2023
How do people keep making this mistake. https://t.co/FOQbOw4ggL
— Adam Gretz (@AGretz) July 28, 2023
It’s one thing for Colin Cowherd to say this, but it’s another when someone, who is literally an MLB analyst (and former player), makes a fool outta himself with this https://t.co/PKAAfeEShp
— That Sports Guy (@Jason_Shetler) July 28, 2023
See… I be trying to defend him to @BaseballThomasB but this makes it so much harder. https://t.co/EpykDJQZrL
— Chelle B (@dizzyjudge) July 28, 2023
It’s one thing for Cowherd to not know but come on A-Rod….. https://t.co/mhZE9Srz2d
— John (@JGor492) July 28, 2023
Who wants to tell him https://t.co/Nd7yFoeBGu
— NY Liberty #IStanForSabrina (@apgripsh) July 28, 2023
🤦🏼♂️
— Mike Maher (@mikeMaher) July 28, 2023
— kvnpierre (@kvnpierre) July 28, 2023
Is this real? https://t.co/gcwnTI1J47
— Tio Nate (@Iam_NateDogg) July 28, 2023
But….never mind https://t.co/xd3PAx98Xk
— Jonathan Joestar (@Jon_Gregg_) July 28, 2023
😂😂 No! https://t.co/LhWPrwk1tk
— Scott Scott (@ecwiscott) July 28, 2023
— Dan Borrello (@danborrello) July 28, 2023
🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄 https://t.co/Iu9RNGOMFh
— Bernadette 🤦🏼♀️ Vielhaber (@BVielhaber) July 28, 2023
🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️ https://t.co/0djL3Ywh1R
— Nick Cammuso (@npc210) July 28, 2023
Gosh this is worse than Cowherd, Cowherd doesn’t care about baseball but this guy spent two decades in baseball and he doesn’t know they can’t trade draft picks? https://t.co/MdIv2PLwPh
— zane dodge (@DodgeZane) July 28, 2023
https://t.co/bXjcZcJZTB pic.twitter.com/ru63JVHC68
— gabe (@simplyjustgabe) July 28, 2023