Trade deadline season is upon us! As we do every year, MWAH will be tracking and updating each and every rumor that comes down the line related to the Halos and their search to improve the roster. As always, we’ll be providing our own take on the rumor including how credible the rumor is and using our patented SciosciaFace rating system to grade how likely it is that such a trade will go down. We’ll update this Angels Trade Deadline Rumor Tracker post often, so don’t forget to check back!
TRADE TARGETS
Carlos Gonzalez
Rumor Type: Informed speculation
7/28 Update – Everyone is trying to connect the dots after the Tulowitzki trade to Toronto and the most common assumption is that the Rockies will go full fire sale and unload CarGo next. Reporters have heavily linked him to the Angels, but there remains little credible evidence that the Halos have engaged with Colorado on a potential deal. The big blockers to any such deal are that the Angels currently seem more interested in marginal upgrades than a big splash and that Gonzalez has $37 million left on his deal after this season. They should be able to barely squeeze CarGo under the tax line in 2015, but it is hard to see how they’d stay under the line with him in 2016. Frankly, I just don’t buy that the Angels want to roll the dice on that much money on a guy who only just started playing well again in the last six weeks. That same logic is supposedly why they are shying away from Jay Bruce, so I don’t know why they wouldn’t be just as reluctant, if not moreso, with Gonzalez.
6/18 Update – There is no proof that the Angels asked Colorado about Gonzalez, but when his name first appeared on the trade block, the Halos were heavily linked. He’s the potential big bat that they want, only he isn’t playing like it right now. He’s also got an expensive contract, but the Halos have just enough wiggle room under the luxury tax line to squeeze him in. The fact that CarGo hasn’t been very good this year probably will scare the Angels off though as they can’t really be taking anymore chances on underperforming players, though we all know how Arte loves a big name.
Likelihood:
Yasiel Puig
Rumor Type: Speculation gone wild
7/28 Update – So, apparently the Dodgers are willing to trade Yasiel Puig “at the right price.” That is… insane. The behavioral issues of Puig are well-documented and likely wildly exaggerated, but for the Dodgers to be considering moving such a talented young player is kind of nuts to consider. Reports go back and forth on whether or not this is all even true, but it is hard to imagine the Dodgers moving him without getting a high end pitcher in return. Some have recklessly connected the Angels to Puig since the Angels have excess starting pitching. However, this isn’t a situation where the Angels are going to be able to flip C.J. Wilson in a package for Puig. It would almost certainly cost Andrew Heaney and a whole lot more, a whole lot that the Angels probably don’t even possess. It is all academic anyway because it seems incredibly unlikely that the Dodgers would deal Puig mid-season. After the season, well…
Likelihood:
Jay Bruce
Rumor Type: 100% confirmed
7/28 Update – Bruce remains on the Angels radar and might be closer to being dealt now that Cincy has unloaded Johnny Cueto. Most reports still indicate that the Angels are lukewarm on Bruce though. The inconsistency is still a red flag for them, but if they want a power bat, he’s probably the most reasonably priced option. A power bat probably makes more sense now that Victorino is in place to step in as a leadoff type, so a power bat would give them more balance.
7/25 Update – According to recent reports, the Angels’ interest in Bruce is waning. See what I did there? Sorry. Anyway, the Angels don’t seem to be all that into Bruce because of his struggles in 2014 that carried through to the start of this year. He’s playing better now, but the Angels have gotten burnt by too many underachieving outfielders in recent years and have apparently lost the willingness to try again. If Bruce comes in at a good price, they might have their interest piqued again, but he very much appears to be on the backburner for Anaheim now.
7/20 Update – Jay Bruce has been the white whale of the rumor tracker. It made sense that the Angels would be in on him, but there was never anything in the media about their interest in him other than folks suggesting that they should be interested in him. Over the weekend though, the Angels copped to scouting Bruce recently. They immediately downplayed it by calling it “due diligence” but that could very well just be them trying to put on a good poker face. Bruce was a salary dump as recently as two months ago, but he seems to have regained his power stroke and now seems like a pretty strong pick up since he is not a rental and relatively young. Bruce is basically an evolutionary step up from the Matt Joyce that the Angels thought they were getting in that he has more power and can handle left-handed pitching. Unfortunately, he also carries the same risk of cratering like Joyce did because there has never been a great explanation for why Bruce was so awful for the year and half prior to coming alive two months ago.
Likelihood:
Ben Revere
Rumor Type: 100% confirmed
7/28 Update – With Victorino, the Angels seem to have now landed their light-hitting versatile outfield defender. That would seemingly preclude them from continuing their long and boring pursuit of Revere. The Halos have always viewed Revere as more of a fourth outfielder type, which they now have in Victorino. If they strike out on everyone else, they could still grab Victorino as a consolation prize and Victorino platoon partner. However, the Phillies are still supposedly asking for a lot for Revere and if the Angels haven’t met that price by now, it is hard to see them giving in when they already have a guy like Victorino on board.
7/6 Update – The Angels have been linked to Revere forever, but it didn’t come out until after Jerry Dipoto fired himself that the Halos had a Revere-Trevor Gott deal all but finalized before backing out at the last minute. Whether that was Dipoto backing out or Moreno or Scioscia making him back out, we don’t know. However, there appears to be quite a bit of smoke around Revere coming to Anaheim, so it looks to be just a matter of time before the new-look front office figures out how to make it happen.
Likelihood:
Gerardo Parra
Rumor Type: Confirmed report
7/28 Update – Despite the acquisition of Shane Victorino, the Angels are still said to be showing active interest in Parra. He’d be the exact kind of lower end verstatile, left-handed bat that could platoon with Victorino or simply start ahead of him in left field. The competition for Parra remains strong, but at least we now know that the Angels are still working the market despite the addition of Victorino.
7/25 Update – There is no recent report of the Angels talking to the Brewers about Parra, however, there are lots of recent reports of just about every other contender inquiring on him. He seems to be the belle of the ball right now since he’s a solid player that teams won’t have to break the bank for. While teams won’t be giving up blue chip prospects for Parra, the competition for his services does suggest that teams will wind up overpaying for him and the Angels don’t seem to be interested in overpaying. They might also lack the ability to overpay, so there’s that too.
7/6 Update – Part of those Lind discussions also included Gerardo Parra. As a package deal, that would be rather attractive for the Angels since Parra can play a terrific left field and has proven on-base ability. However, the problem is that a number of other contenders also are on the lookout for a relatively low-cost, left-handed outfielder, so the competition for Parra could be intense despite his low profile.
Likelihood:
Ben Zobrist
Rumor Type: Confirmed report
7/28 – Zobrist got traded to the Royals. Everything sucks.
7/27 Update – The Angels still appear to be in on Zobrist, according to Jon Heyman. He’d be an interesting addition as he could help out in left field but also pitch in at second base if the Angels acquire additional outfield help. Heck, he could even help fill in at third. The problem is that other teams appear to be considerably more desperate for Zobrist than the Angels are.
7/17 Update – According to recent reports, the Angels have inquired on Ben Zobrist. That isn’t really news because all MLB teams are required by law to inquire on Ben Zobrist. There isn’t a single team that he wouldn’t be of use to because he is good and plays all of the positions. The Angels would surely like to have him, but with so many teams likely to be serious suitors for his services, Zobrist is almost assuredly going to be too costly, especially when you factor in the intradivision premium the A’s would charge.
Likelihood:
David Murphy
Rumor Type: Solid report
7/27 Update – Set phasers to not stunned. The Angels look to have greatly lowered their sights in their search for a left fielder. All the latest rumors have them kicking the tires on low-cost platoon types. Murphy is the top name on that list right now. He had struggled each of the last two years, but seems to have figured things out again this year. He’s strictly a platoon player and a bit overmatched defensively at this point, but if the Angels are looking to pick up an asset without giving up much of anything at all, they could do worse than Murphy.
Likelihood:
Chris Coghlan
Rumor Type: Solid report
7/27 Update – Coghlan is another platoon type that they have explored, but it is hard to see how it is much of a match. The Cubs are a contender and Coghlan is a starter for them, so it is a bit odd to think that they would jettison him, even in a trade for a starting pitcher. The Cubs do have a rich farm system to draw upon, but it still seems like an odd idea that they would disrupt their lineup like that. The Angels might also be hesitant to swap a starter for Coghlan until they get some level of certainty around Jered Weaver’s eventual return. For the Angels, Coghlan is more of a sure bet than Murphy, but he still is strictly a platoon player and a limited defender.
Likelihood:
Andre Ethier
Rumor Type: Internet fan fiction
7/27 Update – There is still not credible evidence that the Angels and Dodgers have had any conversation about the Wilson-Ethier swap that was popularized earlier this season, but that didn’t stop Joel Sherman from floating it out there. I think this is one of those rumors that people think that if they just keep putting the idea out there enough, it will eventually come true.
6/18 Update – There is no evidence that the two sides have even talked, but even more mainstream outlets are starting to proffer up an Ethier deal to the Angels in exchange for one of their starting pitchers, likely Wilson or Santiago. His resurgence has made him somewhat attractive, but the Dodgers would still need to eat a healthy chunk of his contract for this to be even remotely viable. What remains to be seen is if the Angels are really interested in a guy who is strictly a platoon bat.
Likelihood:
Justin Upton
Rumor Type: 100% confirmed
7/27 Update – The market for Upton finally appears to be taking shape, but it does not appear to include the Angels. The Padres are asking for such a large amount that the Mets are already publicly balking, but that is also kind of what the Mets do. Still, it is hard to imagine that the Angels are willing to pay any kind of major price for a rental, even one of Upton’s caliber.
7/17 Update – Would the Angels like to acquire Justin Upton if he were made available? Sure. Probably. Why not? Have they actually asked about him? Who knows. Nobody even knows if the Padres are listening yet. They’ve talked about a Marlins-esque fire sale, but they still seem to have slim hope that they can turn this thing around. If they don’t, they still may not trade Upton because they might prefer to try to re-sign him.
However, if they do shop him, he will be far and away the best bat in a seller’s market. They could get a massive windfall for his talents despite him being a rental player. That’s the theory anyway. Upton has been traded twice as a non-rental and neither deal was really of the windfall variety. To be sure, the Halos don’t have what it takes to pay a windfall, especially if they refuse to deal Sean Newcomb.
If A.J. Preller waits too long to make a decision on Upton, the market could dry up a bit and play into the Angels’ hands. That’s about the only chance they have at being able to have Upton fall into their price range. If Preller is able to create a bidding war, the Halos don’t stand a chance.
Likelihood:
Yoenis Cespedes
Rumor Type: Conflicting rumor
7/22 Update – The Tigers are supposedly getting ready to have a bit of a fire sale that will feature them trading David Price and Yoenis Cespedes- unless they aren’t. Reports on whether or not the Tigers are going to buy or sell change from hour-to-hour. That alone makes the odds of the Halos landing Cespedes unlikely. However, if he really is put on the market, the Angels will certainly explore the idea. The Angels are on record as preferring a left-handed bat with team control after this year, neither of which apply to Yoenis, but he’s got the kind of power that the Angels want behind Pujols and are going to have a hard time finding elsewhere. Cespedes has some OBP issues and there are small whispers of him not being the best clubhouse guy (which is probably just stereotyping him because he’s Cuban), so there is a limit to how much the Angels should offer for him, but it might be worth it if only to have him on the roster so Gary DiSarcina won’t be tempted to send more runners home only to get gunned down by Cespedes.
Likelihood:
Chase Utley
Rumor Type: Vague report
7/22 Update – The Angels are allegedly “keeping an eye” on Chase Utley’s rehab. This is the only real sign we’ve seen that they are looking to upgrade over Johnny Giavotella at second. Johnny G is hardly great, but the Angels have been focused on fixing bigger problems first. Apparently the allure of Utley’s brand name have them thinking about this. They probably shouldn’t though. Utley is old and hurt and having a terrible season. He is currently on the DL due to a giant fork sticking out of his back. Bringing Utley in would give them a better defender and a really good clubhouse guy, but with his weird vesting options in his contract, it could be a real financial mistake to acquire Chase unless the Phillies foot most of the bill.
Likelihood:
Nick Markakis
Rumor Type: 100% confirmed
7/20 Update – I hate this rumor because is seems completely plausible. Markakis is an on-base machine this year thanks in part to an inflated BABIP. However, he has almost no power with a .061 ISO. That is likely a side effect of the major neck surgery he had in the offseason, but it also probably is a side effect of his skill level deteriorating. Nick’s power was almost non-existent the last two years as well, so he really just has the OBP as his one positive skill right now. The reason he makes sense for the Angels is that he is owed $10.5 million this year and each of the next three years. That number slots perfectly into the luxury tax space they have left, so if they strikeout elsewhere, the Braves might just give Markakis away for peanuts to get his contract off the books. That’s fine for 2015, but it leaves him trying up a fair amount of payroll for the next three years. Alternatively, the Braves have been rebuilding their farm by taking on salary in exchange for better prospects. That would mean they could pay a big part of Markakis’ remaining contract in exchange for the Halos overpaying in terms of prospects, which is less than ideal given the caliber of player he is at this point.
Likelihood:
Josh Reddick
Rumor Type: Confirmed report
7/17 Update – Remember when the reports came out that the Angels tried to trade for Reddick and were attempting to involve the Red Sox as an intermediary? Yeah, well, it turns out the reason they did that was because when they went directly to the A’s with their trade inquest, Billy Beane gave them a straight up “NOPE.” Billy Beane is an expert at turning a deal into a three-way, so he wasn’t about to fall for that “intermediary” malarkey. Sorry, folks, Reddick is not coming to Anaheim. Well, technically he is because Oakland will play the Angels in the coming weeks, but you see my point.
Likelihood:
Ben Revere
Rumor Type: 100% confirmed
7/6 Update – The Angels have been linked to Revere forever, but it didn’t come out until after Jerry Dipoto fired himself that the Halos had a Revere-Trevor Gott deal all but finalized before backing out at the last minute. Whether that was Dipoto backing out or Moreno or Scioscia making him back out, we don’t know. However, there appears to be quite a bit of smoke around Revere coming to Anaheim, so it looks to be just a matter of time before the new-look front office figures out how to make it happen.
Likelihood:
Adam Lind
Rumor Type: Confirmed report
7/6 Update – Lind is the kind of left-handed power bat that could really help the Angels as part of a platoon at DH and it has been confirmed that the Angels at least checked in on him in recent weeks. Discussions never got to the serious stages, but the rumor is that the Angels would rather find a more high profile power bat. That basically makes Lind a fallback option, so if the Angels to snag him, it figures to come pretty close to deadline day.
Likelihood:
Javier Baez
Rumor Type: 100% confirmed
6/24 Update – Apparently the Cubs came a-callin’ on the Angels (and most of the rest of the league) in search of a veteran to stabilize their rotation in lieu of their playoff run. That presumably would mean they asked about C.J. Wilson since taking Hector Santiago and all his flyballs to Wrigley Field seems ill-advised. Presumably, the Angels would have to eat some of Wilson’s contract to get anything of value out of the Cubs, even with C.J. having a bounceback season. The original rumor mentioned that at least one of the teams the Cubs talked to had a keen interest in Javier Baez, which is why he’s listed here, but he doesn’t seem like a fit for what the Angels are looking for now. Prospects like Kyle Schwarber, Billy McKinney and Dan Vogelbach seem like much better matches. Schwarber is probably the only name that makes sense so long as the Angels are still fighting for a playoff spot and he might prove to be too expensive. Options could open much wider if the Halos fall out of contention and become sellers.
Likelihood:
Carlos Gonzalez
Rumor Type: Informed speculation
6/18 Update – There is no proof that the Angels asked Colorado about Gonzalez, but when his name first appeared on the trade block, the Halos were heavily linked. He’s the potential big bat that they want, only he isn’t playing like it right now. He’s also got an expensive contract, but the Halos have just enough wiggle room under the luxury tax line to squeeze him in. The fact that CarGo hasn’t been very good this year probably will scare the Angels off though as they can’t really be taking anymore chances on underperforming players, though we all know how Arte loves a big name.
Likelihood:
Brandon Moss
Rumor Type: Informed speculation
6/18 Update – Moss is the rare lefty slugger that can hold his own against southpaws, so he is basically a more attractive version of Lind. Moss isn’t going to hit for much of an average though, which could be an issue for the Angels as they have enough of those types of players right now. Moss, however, can survive in the outfield, which is a plus. However, he’s got a poor injury history which means risk for the Angels and means he might be better off at DH if only to keep him from breaking down. Cleveland is falling out of the race now, so Moss could become available soon, but there is no reason to believe any talks have taken place. Worth noting is that Moss has a year of arbitration left, so the Tribe might not be inclined to move him if they fancy themselves potential contenders in 2016.
Likelihood:
Adam LaRoche
Rumor Type: Informed speculation
6/18 Update – This is another name that Angel beat writers have thrown onto the speculation pile, but there is no indication that LaRoche is for sale, despite the White Sox being wildly disappointing this year. He’s signed through 2016, so one would think they will hold onto him in lieu of them loading up for another run next season. It probably doesn’t help that LaRoche has continued his power decline this year, so the Halos may very well not even have real interest.
Likelihood:
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