Rosenthal: Dodgers Nearly Acquired Howie Kendrick at Trade Deadline

Ken Rosenthal from Fox Sports is reporting that the Los Angeles Angels and the Los Angeles Dodgers nearly pulled off a trade that would have sent Angels second-basemen Howie Kendrick up the 5-freeway to Chavez Ravine.

Aug 3, 2013; Anaheim, CA, USA; Los Angeles Angels second baseman Howie Kendrick throws to first base against the Toronto Blue Jays during the game at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

As Rosenthal explains in the article:

"…the two sides held extensive trade discussions before the July 31 non-waiver deadline, according to major league sources.The Angels proposed a deal that included one of the Dodgers’ top pitching prospects, Double-A right-hander Zach Lee, sources said. One source said the talks went right down to the deadline. It is unclear which team blinked."

The news of the near-trade sheds light on Angels GM Jerry DiPoto’s decision to trade for top Oakland A’s prospect Grant Green on June 30th. It now seems the trade was a preemptive move by DiPoto in case a deal was made with the Dodgers.

Kendrick who is signed through 2015 is owed $27.6 million after this season. He signed a 4-year extension with the Angels in 2012. Kendrick has a 12-team no-trade clause but the Dodgers are not on that list.

In 12 games with the Angels, Grant Green has posted a .827 OPS while filling in for Kendrick. If he continues to find success while Kendrick remains injured, it seems likely that the Angels might shop Kendrick this off-season in search of pitching depth.

While the Angels farm system lacks depth, second-base is not without viable future options for the Angels. 21-year old Angels prospect Taylor Lindsey who has posted a .792 OPS with 16 home runs in offense-suppressing Texas League this year. He was rated number 5 best overall prospect in the Angels system by Baseball Prospectus earlier this year.