Angels At The Trade Deadline

Mark Trumbo races past the trade deadline (Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports)

Remember when the MLB trade deadline was full of juicy rumors and blockbuster deals? I don’t but my attention span rivals that of a fruit fl..oh my god it’s raining outside. July 31’s trade deadline came and went without any fireworks unless you count the bottlerockets Michael Young‘s agent was firing at Boston and Texas to get the traffic cone thirdbaseman out of Philly. The Angels sparked a few rumors but didn’t end up providing any real drama or deadline day deals.

Let’s recap the Angels midseason crisis. I suggested buying a Corvette and hitting on that hostess at the tapas place but they never take my advice.

Angels Trades

Scott Downs traded to Atlanta
The Angels traded their loogy to the Braves for middle relief prospect Cory Rasmus on July 29. The trade would have worked out better if Rasmus was a weird prospect hybrid of Colby Rasmus, Corey Seager and Cody Ransom. But alas, the Angels just got a warm body.

Alberto Callaspo traded to Oakland
The Angels actually got a prospect for Callaspo on July 30. Grant Green was a 2009 first round pick but has struggled finding a position. It’s a decent gamble for the Angels since Green has some upside and they get six years of control, presumably at a reasonable price. Of course, Keith Law notes (Insider required), “Angels’ player development folks have just been handed a big, high-profile project.” Yoinks!

The Non-Angels Trades

Ian Kennedy to the Padres
The Angels and Padres were believed to be dueling it out over Kennedy. But the Angels already dealt their loogy so San Diego walked away with Kennedy for just lefty reliever Joe Thatcher, Double-A reliever Matt Stites and a compensation pick. On a scale of 1-sandwich, I feel pickle about this deal.

Orioles acquire Bud Norris
The Orioles took some Bud off the Astros hands in exchange for Hoes. And the Twitter comedians could not have been happier. The deal was Norris for L.J. Hoes, Josh Hader and a Comp Balance pick.

What it does mean for the Angels is Bud Norris leaves the division. In four starts (28 innings), Norris has a 0.32 ERA against the Halos and is 3-0 if win-loss records are your thing. The Angels have six more games against Houston without facing the O’s again.

Rumor Mill

Erick Aybar was briefly on the market. He was not available by July 31. I assume Jerry Dipoto was willing to listen to offers until an intern reminded him that he dealt Jean Segura last year.

Howie Kendrick was also on the market but stayed put. The acquisition of Green made Kendrick seem like an asset that could be dealt for pitching. The Blue Jays were interested earlier in the day but nothing came to fruition. Kendrick is enjoying a fine season and is signed to a friendly deal but with Green and Taylor Lindsey in the wings, a trade might be explored in the off season.

Mark Trumbo. And here’s where things got interesting today. Apparently, the Pirates attempted to land Trumbo.

Now, it seems as if the Pirates were quickly rebuffed which, I assume, means they weren’t willing to part with either Gerrit Cole or Jameson Taillon. Would Luis Heredia have kept the conversation going? I don’t know. It will be interesting to see if more details shake out.

In the meantime, the Angels will keep plugging right along to that bottom 10 finish. Sweet, sweet, bottom 10 finish.