The Los Angeles Angels made the first big splash of the trade deadline by acquiring a pair of right-handers, Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo López from the Chicago White Sox.
Shortly after the news came out that the Angels had pulled Shohei Ohtani off of the trade conversation, they shifted their sights to solidifying pieces of their roster that needed some work. Giolito has the stuff to be an ace, and alongside their established two-way star, the pairing is superb.
Having to part with prospects Edgar Quero and Ky Bush will hurt the farm system, but it was a necessary move given the state of the team and their commitment to winning this year, per Jeff Fletcher of the O.C. Register:
“Arte is committed to making a run this season, along with having Angels fans see Ohtani through September and hopefully into October,” a source told the Southern California News Group in the wake of the Sports Illustrated story. “The best way to do that is through addition, not subtraction.”
The difference in being one of the teams in the bottom five farm systems is slim, but the gap between them and the top 10 is worlds away. Being the team that cuts the line in front of the obvious teams vying for Giolito’s services was what Angels general manager Perry Minasian needed to do.
The 29-year-old Giolito joins the Angels with a 6-6 record, carrying a 3.79 ERA, 4.46 FIP, and a 1.22 WHIP.
Angels haven’t talked long-term with Shohei Ohtani
Being without centerfielder Mike Trout, Shohei Ohtani has done his best to carry the load. Angels manager Phil Nevin has shuffled him around the top of the order to get him into more advantageous spots, and the two-way star has just continued to slug.
His bounce-back start on Thursday was a clear sign he’s moving closer to being past his finger issues, but the two-way start spoke this past week on how he and the Angels haven’t discussed long-term plans.
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