With one week to go until the MLB Trade Deadline, the Los Angeles Angels have yet to make any deals. That is expected to change, though, as they have frequently been seen as one of the league’s top sellers and could part ways with a significant portion of their Major League roster.
The name most frequently mentioned in trade talks has been closer Carlos Estévez. As a reliever having an incredible season on an expiring contract, he has very high value and would be sought after by just about every contending team in the league. But it’s not just Estévez.
The Angels have a long list of players that opposing teams value, and Jeff Passan of ESPN broke down exactly how busy the team could be in the next seven days.
A sneaky-busy team, the Angels are making available arguably the deadline’s best reliever (Carlos Estevez), a controllable starter with a sub-3.00 ERA (Tyler Anderson), multiple outfielders (Taylor Ward and Kevin Pillar), a worthwhile reclamation project (Reid Detmers, who has generated interest from multiple teams) and a pair of veteran bullpen options (Luis Garcia and Hunter Strickland). The best of the bunch would be infielder Luis Rengifo, were he not on the injured list with a bum wrist — but there’s such little infield supply, teams may pony up plenty for him anyway. Ward was once thought to be an in-demand option, but he has been so bad since June 1 (.164/.281/.279) that some teams have soured on acquiring him. Even so, the Angels have the opportunity to bolster the worst farm system in baseball by moving any and all of the above.
The Angels are getting a major boost towards this list on Tuesday, as Luis Rengifo is expected to be activated. He could be one of the team’s most valuable trade pieces given his consistency and utility over the last few years. But Estévez, Tyler Anderson, Luis Garcia and even Reid Detmers could land hauls for L.A. as well.
The Angels desperately need to replenish their farm system and finally have the combination of quality MLB talent and a bad record to make it happen. Over the next week, L.A.’s major league roster and prospect list could start to look a lot different and paint a much different picture for the future of the franchise.
Mike Trout expected to return to Angels this week
Mike Trout has been out of the Angels lineup since April 29, when the superstar suffered a torn meniscus that required surgery.
Trout had made some progress in recent weeks, swinging in batting cages and lifting weights. However, he hadn’t faced live pitching or done any significant running, making it look as though his return was still a ways away.
The Angels superstar has progressed at rapid speed through the last few steps of the process, facing live pitching over the weekend and preparing for a short stint with Triple-A Salt Lake City before returning to the Halos.