With the trade deadline fast approaching, the writers at MWAH thought we’d all get together and do a roundtable of the trades we would like to see happen and call it our Angels Trade Wishlist. This was going to be one piece, but apparently we are all so amped for the deadline that each and every one of us wrote way too much, so instead, we’re unveiling one fantasy trade proposal each day. Keep in mind, these are just the trades our individual writer wants to see, so it doesn’t necessarily mean it is an existing rumor out there.
Much has been made of the hole in left field and rightfully so. The Halos have next to nothing in terms of offensive production from that position in the lineup and not a lot defensively there either. This will be the spot everyone clamors to fill. Not me. I am inclined to let a platoon of Matt Joyce/Efren Navarro and hopefully at some point Colin Cowgill patrol left field.
C.J. Cron deserves an extended look at DH and if he can swing it the way he has shown over the last month in the minors and majors, the Angels won’t need as much offensively from left field. Cron’s bat will help fill that void.
Enter Johnny Cueto. Look, we all know this story. The Angels win the AL West then stumble in the playoffs due to their lack of a true number one. Well, the difference making ace is out there. Sure, he is a rental, but that shouldn’t matter to the Angels front office if they truly are in “win now” mode. Johnny Cueto can help propel the Angels into the 2015 playoffs, and give them a legitimate chance of winning every series they play once they’re there. Let’s not forget that Cueto has been rumored to be the Astros top trade target, so keeping him out of Houston and landing him in Anaheim is an added bonus
Cueto, Richards and Santiago is a formidable playoff 1-2-3 and it doesn’t even have to breakdown that way. Just so long as Cueto gets games 1,4,7, the Angels could arguably be favored in any series they play, regardless of the competition. So who would it take to get Johnny C?
It would take someone good. Actually, it will take multiple quality players. Trades of this caliber aren’t fun, they’re supposed to be painful. So acquiring the best starting pitcher on the trade market won’t be cheap.
I would highlight the deal with major league ready starting pitcher Nick Tropeano who could fold into the Reds rotation immediately. Tropeano alone won’t be enough, so I would sweeten the pot with potential future MLB closer Cam Bedrosian, and then top it off with Chris Ellis and Kaleb Cowart. Cowart is a true wild card in this trade and has certainly built momentum towards resurrecting his career of late in AAA Salt Lake. Chris Ellis was taken by the Halos in the third round of the 2014 draft out of Ole Miss and has performed quite well this year as a starting pitcher at Double-A Arkansas, so his stock is rapidly rising. The Reds would get the security of two sure things in Tropeano and Bedrosian, and possibly much much more with Ellis and Cowart. There are no blue chips in the package, like Sean Newcomb, but teams have been increasingly reluctant to pay top dollar for rental players in recent years. If the Reds ask for Newcomb in a Cueto deal, and they most assuredly will at least ask, the Angels should balk.
The Angels would receive the most sought after arm on the trade market and would immediately be a formidable foe to any team they face not only for the duration of the 2015 regular season, but also deep into October. Arte Moreno wants a World Series ring. Johnny Cueto can help him fulfill that quest.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
