Analyzing what might be Billy Eppler’s finest hour as LA Angels GM.

What a difference a month makes. After the LA Angels did next to nothing at the non-waiver trade deadline in late July, the Angels have caught fire. The team went 18-10 in August and have climbed back into the wild-card chase.

With the LA Angels showing that could be contenders rather than pretenders in the AL wild-card hunt the Angels management has responded in a big way. Angels owner Arte Moreno followed through on his early season promise to loosen the purse strings down the stretch if the Angels were in contention and the move made sense.

Angels general manager Billy Eppler made good on his bosses’ promise by making two big moves on Thursday that could have a major impact on the team’s chances of reaching the playoffs for the first time in three years and only the second time since 2009.

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Eppler pulled the trigger on a blockbuster deal early in the day acquiring potential MVP candidate Justin Upton from Detroit to solidify the left field position and add a big bat to the middle of the Angels line-up that will more than provide protection for reigning MVP Mike Trout. Not only that, Upton could be here for awhile as he has four years remaining on his contract. The only issue is that Upton could choose to opt-out at the end of this season, forcing the Angels to pony up more dough to keep him the 2017 All-Star.

The best thing is the Angels did not have to give up a handful of prospects to get Upton’s services for a September stretch run.

They did lose one of their top pitching prospect Grayson Long who has done very well in Double-A this season. Long went 8-6 in 121 innings for Mobile with a 2.52 ERA striking out 111 batters and only walking 38. He was the Angels third round draft pick in 2015 out of Texas A&M.

However, with the plethora of major league pitching the Angels will have over the next couple of season with the return of Garrett Richards, Tyler Skaggs, Andrew Heaney, and Nick Tropeano all looking like they will be healthy and ready to lead a group of young arms into the 2018 season. You can also add Matt Shoemaker, Alex Meyer, and Parker Bridwell to that mix, not to mention Nate Smith and Troy Scribner as well. So Long while talented was expendable to get one of the top players in the AL this season in Upton.

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Upton is in the middle of a six-year deal worth more than 120 million dollars. Upton just turned 30 last week and is still in his prime has hit .279 this season with 28 homers and 94 RBIs while stealing 10 bases. His OPS in .904 which is only second to the Angels Mike Trout and will make a formidable outfield trio with Trout and Kole Calhoun.

Eppler however was not done as he went out and acquired the Angels only other hole at second base by acquiring veteran second baseman Brandon Phillips from the Atlanta Braves for Triple-A catcher Tony Sanchez just moments before the post-season roster deadline of 12 midnight East Coast time.