The Angels closed out their season with a number of needs—catcher, second base, third base, left field, bullpen—they’ll almost certainly try to fill via trade or free agency this winter. Trades come with the territory when a team is backed up against the luxury tax limit and has under-performed in three of their last four years. The Angels may bust the tax threshold with the knowledge that both Jered Weaver and C.J. Wilson (and 40 million) are coming off the books after 2016, but we can’t bank on it. Thus, trades appear increasingly likely.
The are a few regulars on the big-league roster that could find themselves on the trading block, but for now we’ll focus mainly on the prospects. Here are the nine youngsters you’ll most likely see the Angels part with this winter:
The Hot-Corner Kids: Kyle Kubitza or Kaleb Cowart
If the Angels know what’s good for them, they’ll let David Freese walk. He won’t net them any prospects, but he’ll open up a decent $6 million-sized hole in the payroll. The Angels have two decent candidates to replace him at third base: Kyle Kubitza and Kaleb Cowart. Kubitza is becoming a good defender, with tons of gap power and enough plate discipline to eventually hit somewhere 1-5. He’s also a left-handed batter, which helps balance out the righty-heavy lineup. Cowart is a great defender already with the chance to be more. He’s shown a knack for making contact and just oozes athleticism from the hot corner. His upside would be that of a Chase Headley type, but in order to reach that potential, he must hit major league pitching, which we aren’t sure he can do yet. There’s talk of a potential Spring Training battle or even a timeshare next season. But if the Angels and Billy Eppler are smart, they’ll settle on one and deal the other.
The Arms Race Excess: Nick Tropeano, Chris Ellis, and Nate Smith
Tropeano deserves to be in a major league rotation. He’s too good not to be. He really is only an adjustment or two away from breaking into the middle of any team’s rotation. But the Angels rotation presents possibly the worst circumstances for a young, pitcher. They already have Garrett Richards and Andrew Heaney atop the rotation, and another high upside pitcher that should be ready at some point next season in Sean Newcomb. This leaves only two permanent spots in the rotation open. But those spots won’t open up until after next year when C.J. Wilson and Jered Weaver (and their 40 million) are mercifully gone and among the potential candidates for those spots we already have Hector Santiago, Tyler Skaggs, Matt Shoemaker, Tropeano, Chris Ellis, and Nate Smith.
Hector Santiago went from all-star to pumpkin quicker than you can say “regression to the mean,” and is likely destined to be dealt or moved to the bullpen at some point. Skaggs will likely be handled with kid gloves, but still has an inevitable future in the rotation. Shoemaker’s inconsistency has left many wondering if he’s the #2 starter he was in 2014, or the fringe 5th starter he has been in 2015. Ellis has the upside, but needs refinement, and Smith has the refinement minus the upside. Regardless, it seems a safe bet to see Santiago, Ellis, and Smith all on the market.
The Lottery Tickets: Nat Delgado and Victor Alcantara
Delgado’s got the left-handed power, build, and swing many scouts look for in a prospect. He’s even a couple years ahead of the developmental curve. But he still has no plate discipline whatsoever, and this has prevented him from capitalizing on his natural abilities with the bat. As for Alcantara, his ERA and mechanics are horrible. What aren’t horrible are his mid- to high-90’s fastball and electric slider. He has just enough stamina to be a legitimate starting pitching prospect, though to be honest, he looks destined for the bullpen right now. Even in the bullpen you could bet on him hitting triple digits with regularity. The Royals stocked up on a bunch of those to build their bullpen, so there’s definite upside in either role.
The Savvy Shoppers: Chad Hinshaw and Alex Yarbrough
Teams looking to strike a deal before the price goes up may look no further than Chad Hinshaw and Alex Yarbrough. Hinshaw showed in AA that his OBP, speed, defense and even power to an extent will play up in the majors. He projects to be more of a 4th OF, but then again, so did Kole Calhoun. It’s only a matter of time before this kid gets his shot somewhere and he may never look back if it comes. As for Yarbrough, he was coming off his 2014 MVP season in AA with high expectations. It was thought he might spend part of the season in AAA but inevitably be promoted and assume his rightful position as the Angels second baseman. But he stumbled something fierce. Hitting only .240 in a hitter friendly environment is hard to spin in any sort of positive manner. Still, his performances in AA, A+, and A Ball indicate that Yarbrough can almost certainly contribute at the major league level some day. Other teams may want to inquire on Yarbrough’s availability to see if he can be added onto the end of a deal while his stock is still down.
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