The Los Angeles Angels have only a few days remaining to make deals before the July 30 MLB trade deadline. Reports have pegged the Angels as heavy sellers, as there is league-wide interest in several of their players. This list includes Taylor Ward, Luis Rengifo, Tyler Anderson and Carlos Estévez, among others.
Recent rumors have suggested that Estévez, Anderson and Rengifo are the most likely players to be dealt before Tuesday. But there hasn’t been much smoke with individual teams showing interest in any of the three. As the deadline nears, though, teams may start to reveal themselves in the bidding war.
The Kansas City Royals are one of the first teams to show reported interest in the Angels’ slew of veteran assets, as they are looking to trade for one of Ward or Rengifo before Tuesday, according to via Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic:
The Kansas City Royals, sources tell The Athletic’s Jayson Stark, are targeting one of three right-handed bats – Lane Thomas, Taylor Ward or Luis Rengifo.
It doesn’t appear as though the Royals are looking to trade for both players, but even as individuals, the Angels could still get solid value for either. And if the Angels want to begin replenishing their farm system, they’ll take advantage of the Royals having interest in two of their players and not let them eventually deal for Thomas.
Rengifo, at this stage, appears to carry significantly more value than Ward given the cold slump the latter has been going through for the last month. The Royals have one top-100 prospect — 19-year-old catcher Blake Mitchell — but the Angels are unlikely to have interest in him with Logan O’Hoppe representing their biggest franchise cornerstone.
The rest of the Royals top five, though, are a quartet of pitchers. 21-year-olds Ben Kudrna and Frank Mozzicato, 23-year-old Mason Barnett and 19-year-old Blake Wolters. If the Angels could get any one of these players in exchange for Rengifo, it would be a massive win for the franchise’s league-worst farm system.
Ward would demand a lesser haul, but at this rate, virtually any deal would help the Angels in the long term as they look to rebuild their franchise from the ground up.
Angels’ Tyler Anderson among most desirable pitchers
Starting pitcher Tyler Anderson — fresh off the heels of his second All-Star selection — is being widely sought after. Anderson is seen as one of the best pitchers available on the market this summer, and that could drive up his price alongside the other two Angels’ pieces.