The Los Angeles Angels have a decision to make regarding their approach to the trade deadline. To most, it’s clear the Angels should sell at the deadline. However, the club does have smaller trade pieces that shouldn’t be forgotten. Los Angeles sits fourth in the American League West, 10 1/2 games behind the Seattle Mariners. They are 11 games behind the Boston Red Sox for the final Wild Card spot. They were just swept by their division rivals, the Oakland Athletics, which includes being shut out in the last two contests.
Things don’t look much better if we assess the organizational strength. The Halos’ four full-season minor league clubs have a combined 133-185 record, good for a .418 winning percentage. Even worse, they were graded as the worst farm system in baseball in MLB Pipeline’s preseason rankings.
In short, the Angels require a serious organizational overhaul. To that end, there’s no better time to get started than the trade deadline. Yet, the Angels have big trades available and should pursue them to begin the long process of a rebuild. Tyler Anderson would help a contending team solidify their rotation. The left-handed starter is an excellent trade option for anyone who needs pitching help. Taylor Ward would bring a huge return if the Angels truly want to rebuild. The Carlos Estévez trade market will be incredibly competitive given his recent surge. Luis Rengifo would move the needle for a contending team.
To be competitive moving forward, the Angels must acquire young talent for their valuable trade pieces. With this in mind, the Angels’ smaller trade pieces are just as important as the bigger ones moving forward.
Angels Smaller Trade Pieces Breakdown
The Angels will still be far behind the other teams in their division. The Texas Rangers are the defending World Series champions. The Houston Astros have been a model of success over the last decade. Now, the Seattle Mariners have also arrived. The AL West is going to be competitive for the foreseeable future. Given these facts, the Angels need to realize that Mike Trout can’t do it alone, even when he is healthy. Young players like Logan O’Hoppe, Zach Neto, and José Soriano are building blocks that general manager Perry Minasian should look to build around.
Veterans like Griffin Canning, Kevin Pillar, and Matt Moore are smaller trade pieces that can bring back value. The same goes for Hunter Strickland and even Brandon Drury. With this many players available, the Angels need to find the right buyer.
Griffin Canning Trade Market
The Angels right-hander has never been able to put it all together. Yet, Canning still has value in the current trade market. Canning’s 2024 numbers are slightly worse than his career averages but his lower K/9 is what depresses his trade value the most. Any team looking to add Canning would be doing so with the hope that he can contribute innings in the regular season because he wouldn’t likely be part of a postseason rotation.
Teams that see the higher asking prices for pitching options like Garrett Crochet, Jack Flaherty, Zach Eflin and the Angels’ Anderson, might decide to fill their pitching needs with a less-expensive alternative like Canning. Of course, for this same reason, the Angels might choose to keep him.
Best fits: Cleveland, Minnesota
Kevin Pillar Trade Market
Kevin Pillar has been a Top-15 outfielder on offense since he began his Angels’ tenure on May 1. His defense has a negative rating though Pillar still makes highlight plays. Plus, Pillar is not excelling due to an abnormal BABIP that is sure to regress. The Angels should look to move the 35-year-old because he would be the perfect injury replacement or fourth outfielder for a contending team. Pillar will be a free agent after the season. Of all of the Angels’ smaller trade pieces, he should be the easiest to trade away.
Best fits: Kansas City, Atlanta
Matt Moore Trade Market
Matt Moore did not enjoy the month of May. The southpaw pitched in 11 games, posting an 8.10 ERA over 10 innings. His ERA outside of that miserable stretch is 3.09 over 23.1 innings. The left-hander has struggled with strikeouts this season, which might give teams alarm. Still, put in the right situation he can be an excellent left-handed bullpen arm. A handful of contending teams should jump at the chance to acquire him. The Yankees currently have the lowest fWAR in the MLB for left-handed relievers. Arizona has the highest ERA at a dreadful 6.22 clip.
Best fits: New York Yankees, Arizona, Kansas City
Hunter Strickland Trade Market
Strickland is one of the Angels’ smaller trade pieces that could fit perfectly into a bigger deal. On the other hand, Strickland should be enough to pry away a Top-30 prospect from a desperate team. Arizona and Kansas City have major bullpen issues. Texas could look to improve theirs if they are serious about making a run to the postseason to defend their title. Of course, other teams will also check in because you can never have enough arms in the bullpen.
Best fits: Arizona, Kansas City, Texas
Brandon Drury Trade Market
Brandon Drury has not enjoyed the 2024 season. Of course, Drury has battled injuries. Yet, the free agent to be has not produced when he’s been healthy. Drury is slashing a pedestrian .174/.241/.231/.472 which ranks him 331 out of 335 batters with 130 plate appearances. The Angels are paying Drury $8.5 million this season so if they hope to get anything back in a trade they will have to eat a large portion of his remaining salary. Still, there can be value for the versatile 31-year-old. A team like the Boston Red Sox or New York Yankees could use him as a change of pace for multiple members of their struggling infields.
Best fits: Boston, New York Yankees
All This Value Can Move the Needle
The Angels front office must take advantage of the desperation that contending teams often have during the MLB Trade Deadline. Every deadline has a trade or two that sees a top-rated prospect swapped for a rental or league-average player. This year will be no different. On one hand, the Angels’ smaller trade pieces might not seem valuable on the surface. Yet, they can shore up positions of weakness for several contenders. That gives them value. The Angels need to make sure they are in the right place at the right time to capitalize on their trade value.
Main Photo: © John Froschauer-USA TODAY Sports
