The MLB Trade Deadline is nearing, with July 30 at 3:00 p.m. PT serving as the bell for teams to make their final trades of the season. And the Los Angeles Angels figure to be an active team in the days leading up to that. They have not made any deals yet, but are reported to be major sellers with players like Carlos Estévez, Tyler Anderson, Taylor Ward, Luis Rengifo and more on the block.
Among the group above, Estévez is almost certain to be dealt in the next two weeks. He is an expiring closer in the midst of perhaps his best season as a pro. Any contender would love to have a player like that the rest of the way. And while the Angels have shown a reluctance to deal players with multiple years of control remaining — like Anderson, Ward and Rengifo — some offers may be too good to pass up.
But all these players constantly finding their names in the rumor mill is sure to affect their mentality day to day. Estévez, for one, knows that a trade is a possibility and isn’t upset by it. But he’s trying to put that aside and continue to put in the work wherever he is asked to do so, according to Jeff Fletcher of The O.C. Register:
“I can’t control that stuff,” said closer Carlos Estévez, who is No. 1 on the list of Angels most likely to be traded. “If I can’t control it, I’m not going to worry about it. I’m going to worry about my effort in here, in the weight room, in the training room, when I’m out there pitching. That’s the most I can do. I’m not a GM. I don’t make those decisions. At the same time, I understand it’s a business. It is what it is. I just try to deal with the day to day instead of thinking about that stuff.”
Anderson shared a similar sentiment. And although he is less likely be dealt than Estévez, the Angels may look to capitalize on his recent All-Star selection with a deal.
“My whole thought in baseball and in life is control the controllables,” Anderson said. “If it’s out of your control, don’t worry about it.”
The Angels are in the realm of putting together a complete overhaul at the deadline, and if so, many of the team’s veterans will be elsewhere shortly. But in the meantime, they’re all focusing on controlling what they can control, and continuing to show up every day and put in their best work.
Tyler Anderson doesn’t pitch in All-Star Game
The AL — managed by Bruce Bochy of the Texas Rangers — used nine pitchers in nine innings on Tuesday night. Corbin Burnes of the Baltimore Orioles was the starter, and he was followed by Cy Young hopeful Tarik Skubal. All three runs given up by the AL — in the form of a Shohei Ohtani home run — were allowed by Tanner Houck.
Garrett Crochet, Mason Miller, Cole Ragans, Seth Lugo, Kirby Yates and Emmanuel Clase shut things down to close out the game and secure the American League victory. But Anderson, in his second All-Star Game, still has yet to actually take the field for game action.
Anderson was benched for the evening in Texas. He was one of three AL pitchers to not get the opportunity to pitch.