MLB Rumors: Yankees-Dodgers Trade Brewing After Shohei Ohtani Decision

Shohei Ohtani’s decision to sign with the Dodgers reportedly has caused Los Angeles to make a move on the margins.

The Dodgers are working on a trade with the New York Yankees to create spots on their 40-man roster for Ohtani and relief pitcher Joe Kelly, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported Sunday. Rosenthal reported the expectation is the Bronx Bombers will receive two 40-man players for a prospect not on their own 40-man roster.

Ohtani announced the decision to join with the Dodgers on Saturday afternoon. The superstar reportedly will earn $700 million during his 10-year contract, which marked the largest deal ever in North American sports.

Multiple reports indicated Ohtani included an “unprecedented” aspect in his deal, deferring a majority of his salary. It reportedly allows the Dodgers to spend and not be hamstrung by Ohtani’s mind-boggling $70 million in average annual value.

The players moving in the Yankees-Dodgers deal were not known as of 2:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, per Rosenthal.