Paul in Virginia

And you wonder why you weren't offered the Baltimore Director of Tourism position....''

Yeah, I thought that, too, as I read through all his scenarios; way too in favor of the Angels.

The Orioles have enough to trade for Ohtani, but there is no way they’re going to deal away a lot of the young talent they’ve accumulated over the past four years. As they push for the playoffs, look for the Orioles to make a play for pitchers such as Jack Flaherty, Lucas Giolito, Lance Lynn, Jordan Montgomery or Marcus Stroman instead. Bowden: The Angels should trade Shohei Ohtani. Which teams (and packages) could land him? - The Athletic

Nice to see!

In other news.....

Excellent points, but I have to think it's easier to obtain a yes/no answer (pre-draft) from a mid-50s pick than it is with a guy at the tail end of the draft.

Maybe a dumb question: why didn't we just draft this guy much earlier in the draft? Paying 70% of MSRP isn't as good as paying 15% of MSRP, but isn't 70% still a very solid value?

I think that you can make the case that the Orioles system is so rich that hey HAD to draft for need. Mathematically, there comes a time where BPA is actually counterproductive.

More from CBS Sportsline: Enrique Bradfield, CF, Vanderbilt: Bradfield is an elite ballhawk in center field who ought to compete for a Gold Glove Award in due time. He's also a top-notch baserunner who could steal more than an AI generator (he swiped 130 bases at a 91% success rate for his collegiate career). At the plate, he has a disciplined approach and a good feel for contact that allowed him to bat .296 with more walks than strikeouts in SEC play. While he's never going to be a power hitter, his average and top-end exit velocities were more impressive than, say, Jacob Wilson's. Still, Bradfield was the most polarizing position player in the class among the scouts and analysts who spoke to CBS Sports.

MLB Pipeline's scouting report on him: Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 40 | Run: 80 | Arm: 40 | Field: 70 | Overall: 55 The fastest player in the 2020 Draft, Bradfield could have gone in the top three rounds as a Florida high schooler if he hadn't been intent on attending Vanderbilt. He led NCAA Division I with 47 steals while winning Southeastern Conference freshman of the year honors in 2021, then finished second last season with 46 (in 46 attempts) and eighth this spring with 37. His speed and defense elicit repeated comparisons to Kenny Lofton, who won five stolen-base titles and three Gold Gloves, and he could become the Commodores' eighth top-10 pick in the last nine Drafts. Bradfield has top-of-the-line speed and knows how to make the most of it. He's a disruptive force on the bases and an elite defender, maximizing his talents by working to refine his craft as a basestealer and center fielder. His quickness bolsters his on-base ability and helps him compensate for a below-average arm by allowing him to reach grounders in a hurry. With game-changing speed and a slender frame, Bradfield understands what he needs to do on offense. He focuses on making contact with a flat left-handed swing, uses the entire field and excels at bunting for base hits. While he'll never be a slugger, he does have some sneaky pop to his pull side and swatted 14 homers the last two seasons after going deep just once as a freshman.

Prospectslive live had him going #11 to the Angels: The Player: Enrique Bradfield's game is reminiscent of Billy Hamilton, but with a bit more thump to the toolset. Bradfield is more built for spraying liners to all fields and laying down bunts to terrorize infielders with his speed, but there's some power in the profile that could get better with added muscle. Much like Jacob Gonzalez, he walked more than he struck out in his collegiate career, a testament to his elite eye. A true 80 grade runner, Bradfield knows when to utilize that speed and is an absolute terror on the basepaths. This speed also allows him to cover an insane amount of ground in center field with incredible defensive abilities. It wouldn't be a shock to see Bradfield fly through the minors. The Rationale: The Angels have targeted players who can reach the big leagues as quickly as possible in the last few years. With two elite tools in his speed and defense coupled with three years of SEC experience, Bradfield Jr. can move quickly and possibly take over the reins in CF for the Halos. Dollander and Waldrep could be options should the Angels target a pitcher. Several of the college bats work at this spot including Troy should he last this long.

CBS Sportsline said he's their top leadoff hitter in the draft; had him as their 9th overall prospect.

Superbly put, IMO. We all lust for the ability to one day trade draft picks, yet I think we overlook how only MLB has this puzzle of trying to temp "tomorrow's" superstar to start his career TODAY, per your discussion above. Truly a fascinating puzzle.