It’s hard to imagine that anything could top the Angels’ 2023 trade deadline. The will-they-won’t-they surrounding Shohei Ohtani. The last-gasp push to trade nearly every ounce of prospect depth to bolster minimal playoff chances. The Angels were the storyline of the last trade deadline for the rest of the baseball world.
Advertisement
The Angels’ 2024 deadline might not be as newsworthy. But for this downtrodden, directionless franchise, it might be far more important. What they do this July will signal their level of acceptance over how they’ve performed. And it will be the most tangible evidence yet over whether the front office believes a rebuild is necessary.
Angels GM Perry Minasian’s contract status makes this all the more interesting. His boss, owner Arte Moreno, has put him in a difficult spot. Minasian’s contract is set to expire after this season, which isn’t a comfortable place for most GMs, particularly at the deadline. There’s an inherent incentive to do everything possible to field a competitive roster as quick as possible. And that might not be what the Angels need.
Their deadline will be fascinating. If not as noticeable publicly.
With that in mind, here are three key storylines for the Angels at the deadline.
GO DEEPER
MLB trade target tiers: Ranking 91 hitters, starters and relievers who could be available
Will the Angels trade their arbitration eligible players?
The Angels are likely to deal most — if not all — of their players on expiring contracts. At least that should be the case. Players like closer Carlos Estévez, relievers Matt Moore, Luis Garcia and Adam Cimber, second baseman Brandon Drury and even outfielder Kevin Pillar should be dealt for whatever they can get back.
The bigger question is just how willing the Angels will be in trading players with years of control remaining. That includes names like Luis Rengifo, Taylor Ward, Patrick Sandoval and José Suarez. Starting pitcher Tyler Anderson goes in this bucket as well, even though he’s beyond the arbitration process. He does have another year remaining on his contract at what now seems like a $13 million bargain.
Trading these players raises an inherently fascinating question. Are the Angels ready for a legit rebuild? It would indicate a longer process is needed to compete. A process that would, by its nature, extend beyond next season. Those arb-eligible players would net a significantly higher return than the players on expiring contracts. And could replenish a weak farm system with young talent that could actually make the Angels competitive long-term.
Advertisement
This would stray far from how Angels owner Arte Moreno has typically operated. He prefers being able to sell the fanbase on a competitive team each year. With the Angels not having a playoff win in 15 years — and Moreno’s recent unwillingness to spend big in free agency — maybe it’s time for a change.
Could the Angels trade one of their top young talents?
The most valuable assets the Angels have are probably not going anywhere. These names include shortstop Zach Neto, catcher Logan O’Hoppe and pitcher José Soriano. All three have shown flashes of brilliance with potential for that play to become sustainable.
It doesn’t make a ton of sense for the Angels to move any of them. They have years of control and could be the foundation for any competitive team the Angels field in the future.
With all that being said, they’ll also be the most sought after players by competitive teams. And if the Angels do take the unlikely step of shredding the entire roster, a team overpaying for Soriano might make some sense to entertain.
The Angels likely need to face the reality that what they’re doing now isn’t working. And accepting that reality could manifest itself in numerous ways. So it wouldn’t be wise to rule out trades of even the most unlikely of players.
What does this mean for Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon?
No. They’re not getting traded. In a different world, where the team was this bad and those players were performing at a high level, then maybe. But the Angels are bad and both players remain on the injured list.
The question here is what a full-scale rebuild might mean for Trout and Rendon. Trout, in particular, has been loyal to the Angels. He’s backed up the front office’s vision and projected annual confidence in the team’s ability to compete. They’ve always tried, unsuccessfully, to win for and with Trout.
Advertisement
But if the Angels make overt rebuilding moves, it’s fair to wonder how willing the franchise’s most expensive players will be to play out their remaining years on a bad team. Trout will turn 33 in August. Rendon turned 34 last week. Both players have been injury prone.
Both will be nearly impossible to move in the offseason, particularly Rendon, who has publicly discussed his contemplation of retirement.
The inflection point seems possible, but the solutions to move past that aren’t clear. It will create an interesting conundrum for this franchise after the deadline, if indeed many of the MLB quality players are sent elsewhere.
Other storylines:
- Will the Angels’ trades lead to them calling up top pitching prospect, 20-year-old Caden Dana, who has lit up Double-A? The Angels made a similar move after the 2021 deadline when they called up Reid Detmers.
- Speaking of Detmers, he’s in Triple A, with all the talent in the world. Might he be a trade candidate? The question remains if the Angels would want to trade him when his value is at its lowest.
- Could Jo Adell get moved? His massive slump over the last three weeks has weakened his value. But he’s also flashed more potential this year than ever before.
- Can the Angels squeeze a morsel of trade value out of players like Hunter Strickland, Carson Fulmer, Luis Guillorme or Pillar? These players have all performed well. But it’s up in the air just how much a team would be willing to give up to acquire them.
GO DEEPER
Astros trade deadline primer: 3 early storylines to watch
GO DEEPER
30 things I’m hearing and watching for on MLB trade deadline with 50 days to go
(Top photo of Carlos Estévez: Troy Taormina / USA TODAY)