The day of the 2022 MLB Trade Deadline has officially arrived, and there have already been plenty of fireworks league-wide. The Los Angeles Angels, though, have yet to make a deal of any kind, with a Noah Syndergaard trade looming largest in the clubhouse.
After reports expectedly confirmed that the Angels would absolutely not be trading Shohei Ohtani at the deadline, the focus quickly shifted to Syndergaard, the quality veteran starter on a one-year contract. Rumors have been swirling around the Angels’ marquee winter free agent signing since the team’s season took a nosedive in June and July.
Now, with only hours before the deadline passes, it appears that a Syndergaard trade has only become more likely, according to Jon Morosi of MLB Network:
Noah Syndergaard trade becoming more likely, sources say; Blue Jays, Phillies and Braves involved in talks over past 48 hours. Atlanta's deal for Jake Odorizzi, per @MarkBermanFox26, could impact that. Credit to @_bkuh_ for reporting Toronto's involvement. @MLBNetwork @Sportsnet
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) August 2, 2022
Morosi also includes the Toronto Blue Jays, Philadelphia Phillies, and Atlanta Braves as teams potentially interested in adding Syndergaard. That’s a move that would make sense for all three teams, as all are in playoff contention and could arguably use 1-2 more quality starters.
Yes, Syndergaard is not the pitcher today that he was from 2015-19. However, he can still provide quality innings as a pitch-to-contact, five-and-out type player. And on the Angels side, it would only be wise to extract as many prospects as possible from Syndergaard.
Through no fault of his own, he simply was unable to raise the team’s ceiling the way Perry Minasian had originally hoped. If he is on the fence about re-signing this offseason, turning him into 1-2 decent prospects — preferably on the pitching side — would be an ideal outcome.
All of the questions surrounding his trade candidacy and value on the open market should be determined by 3:00 p.m. PT on Tuesday afternoon.
Syndergaard, Iglesias reportedly most likely to be dealt
In a bit of a surprise, Raisel Iglesias joined Syndergaard in a report naming the most likely Angels players to be traded at the deadline. After signing a four-year contract extension with the team this winter, it was assumed he wouldn’t be in rumors unless things truly fell apart.
Iglesias has not been as dominant as 2021, but he is still one of the league’s very best closers, and someone the Angels may want to hold on to if the goal is to contend in 2023.