The Los Angeles Angels trade rumors are heating up fast. But the last couple of weeks for this team have gone from bad to worse. In the four-game series against the Texas Rangers, Zach Neto and Gio Urshela were out due to injuries. The loss of Neto and Urshela had the Angels in the American League Wild Card hunt. Now, they might have trouble making up ground for the Rangers. This week, the injury bug took out Brandon Drury and Mike Trout as both joined 12 other Angels players on the IL. Finally, Shohei Ohtani and Anthony Rendon ( shin contusion) left Tuesday’s game early. Everything has fallen apart over a matter of days for the Angels.
Angels Trade Rumors Heating Up
Jon Heyman’s Report
The New York Post’s Jon Heyman summarized the Angels’ situation perfectly. Heyman explained that the Angels front office are telling others they will “know a lot more in the next two or three weeks” regarding their plans. On top of that, he goes on to say that Halos’ officials “seem to be leaving open the slight possibility” of making Ohtani available. Heyman does say that there remains a fair bit of skepticism around the league that owner Arte Moreno would sign off on that kind of move. Moreno reportedly pulled Ohtani from the trade market last summer.
Last week during a media session, Angels’ general manager Perry Minasian emphasized that teams should be aware of their current situation. It’s self-explanatory at this point according to Sam Blum of the Athletic. Then, the Angels were 41-34 in prime position for a Wild Card spot. All of that has changed in the last couple of weeks.
Things are not going well for the Angels. However, despite all the injuries, they are still in a spot to buy. Currently, the Angels are 6 1/3 back of the Rangers in the American League West. They’re 3 1/2 games back in the Wild Card race. Perry Minasian and Arte Moreno are the only ones who know the plans for the Angels. An Ohtani trade might not even be on the table with him having the chance of breaking Aaron Judge’s American League record of 61 home runs.
The Deciding Factor
What might set the tone for the Angels’ plans at the deadline could be how the first week following the All-Star break goes. Right out of the gate, they have a three-game series against the Houston Astros then the New York Yankees. Both of which are ahead of them in the Wild Card race. They could be buyers if the Angels take 4 out of the 6 games. If the reverse happens or more injuries occur to more key players, then the thought could be one of selling.
Even if the Angels were to become sellers, what could they offer? The team has a few players on expiring deals who bring back slim returns. Nothing apart from trading Ohtani would get back anything of value that could help the Angels rebuild. Truthfully, the only thing that could reset the Angels’ system would be a Marlins-like fire sale. Even with that, there is no guarantee that anything coming back would become something similar to what was lost.
It might be a rough pill to swallow if the season were to come down to how 6 games turn out. On the plus side, there might be a chance they could have some players return. It is a sign of optimism. That and having quality players that can fill the spots with injuries running a monk could hold that line. Granted, everything comes down to performance.
Middle Ground
Reading between the lines with reports and rumblings is a hard thing. Plenty of people want Ohtani on the next plane out of Anaheim. The likelihood of an Ohtani trade is slim in reality. Angles owner Arte Moreno has no reason to trade him. If Ohtani is likely to be chasing history in August and September, Ohtani will be an Angel for the rest of the season.
What’s likely to happen is the Angels make a few moves that bolster the roster for now. Make a few buyer moves and a few seller moves. Honestly, the Angels are better off getting some players that could fill the hole left if Ohtani were to go. Being sellers won’t help the team this season, especially if they still have a shot to get into the postseason.
Entering a time of rumors and speculation is tough with spirling teams. The knee-jerk reaction is throwing in the towel and trying again next year. Why not go all in with the Angels and try to sneak in? If Ohtani walks away at the season’s end, are you better off saying we lost him after giving it everything we had or trading him after an awful two weeks in June? Perry has a plan and knows what’s happening within the system, no one else does. There might be an extreme one way or the other. All we can do is wait to see what happens.
Photo Credit: © Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports
Players mentioned:
Zach Neto, Gio Urshela, Brandon Drury, Mike Trout, Shohei Ohtani, Anthony Rendon, Aaron Judge’
