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.
So you want to make a trade, do you? I know, I get it, any team can improve, and the Angels are no different. But, do tell what it is the Angels should be looking for and what the front office is willing to give up in order to get it?
Do the Angels need more pitching? Sure, why not. There is no such thing as too much pitching. But the only pitching that the Angels should be looking for is the “lower level minor leaguer with upside” type of pitching that no one is trading away. And, on top of that, Angels starting pitching is quite good this season. They own the third best starting pitcher ERA in the American League, the second-best groundball rate, the fifth-best HR/9 and the fifth-best BB/9. They have an overabundance of Major League level starters now that Andrew Heaney has made his presence known, and no real tradeable assets from out of the rotation. At least, no tradeable asset that could bring back a number-one or -two starting pitcher, and that would be mandatory considering the logjam that will exist once Jered Weaver gets back. Adding another starter is just…well, the Angels don’t have the room.
What about a reliever? The Angels have the fifth best fWAR among relievers in the American League, and their relievers combined FIP is fourth best. Albeit that relievers are much easier to trade for, but who could the Angels possibly eye up? Trevor Gott, Joe Smith and Huston Street own the back end of the bullpen. Fernando Salas is a fine bridge in case the starting pitcher doesn’t get out of the fifth, and Cesar Ramos has been fantastic. The only real issue for the Angels has been Mike Morin, Vinnie Pestano and, to a much lesser degree, Jose Alvarez. But, with Matt Shoemaker making a bullpen appearance in the last game before the All-Star Break, those issues could be getting resolved. Besides, the only real issues are with the mop up men. And, does anyone really expect anything from mop up men?
More offense. For the love of all things holy, this team needs more offense. Alright, I’ll bite. But even though I don’t believe that the offensive onslaught that went into the break is the Angels true talent level, I also don’t believe that the offensive ineptitude that had the Angels playing to a -2 run differential before the Rangers series is their true talent level either. My guess is that it is somewhere in the middle. The middle being somewhere between the 3.8 runs per game they were averaging before this last road trip and the 7.2 runs per game that Angels displayed during the road trip. The same road trip where the Angels were still employing Chris Iannetta who has been hitting .277/.407/.426 over the last four weeks. It’s almost as if people should have noticed that something was just wrong in April, not that Iannetta all of a sudden was a terrible baseball player.
Bottom line, the Angels are, in fact, a really good baseball team with the roster as it currently is (aside from Matt Joyce). They could stand to lose a player, *cough* Matt Joyce *cough* but they don’t really have the minor league talent to add an impact bat in his place. Especially when some of the names being tossed around out there are names like Jay Bruce. My opinion: The Angels will win with what they got. Because what they Angels have got, is actually pretty good.
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