LA Angels mock GM simulations heating up you can get involved too

FanSided baseball sites decided to do an interesting thing proceeding the Annual Baseball Winter Meetings.  All teams have a co-editor(s) or staff writer who will act as a GM for the team they write for.  Myself and fellow co-editor Vincent Page are representing our beloved LA Angels.

So far we have been assessing the market looking for the right fit to fill some of the LA Angels holes that the team currently has.  We will chronicle some of the trade offers that we have fielded and also made in hopes of improving our team.  Although these are only hypothetical deals we thought it might be interesting for you as readers to get an inside look at what trade and free agent negotiations may possibly look like.

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In addition we will look at your comments and if you have any deals that you think might be good for us to propose feel free to mention them in your comments and if we feel it make sense we will offer your deal to the respective general manager or free agent.  You can include prospects on either side of your deal.  As for free agents you need to make a bid: years and money offered. Free agents will be like a silent auction of sorts, but location we are told could make a difference.

So I want to let you know some of the deals that have been offered and that we have offered to other teams in hopes of landing a certain player.  We are also trying to pursue some of the players the Angels themselves have been said to be interested in.

The hunt for a second baseman:

The Angels have had a hole at second base since Howie Kendrick was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers after the 2014 season in a deal that gave the Angels left-handed pitcher Andrew Heaney. Johnny Giavotella was serviceable in 2015, but in 2016 the production went South and he was released and Danny Espinosa and Kaleb Cowart were not the answer either.

So one of the top priorities this Winter for the is to find a permanent replacement for Kendrick.  So we have made two offers so far.

Angels offered pitcher Parker Bridwell, Nate Smith, and Eduardo Paredes to the Chicago Cubs for second baseman Javier Baez.  This trade was not accepted by the Cubs.  They had asked us to put together a deal with starters and relievers which is why it was all pitchers.

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Our thinking was as good as Parker Bridwell he is still a somewhat unproven commodity and we were trying to sell him while he has a high value.  Nate Smith is another unproven commodity who still has some trade value especially since he is a lefty.  Finally Eduardo Paredes is an up and coming reliever, but we thought he would be worth putting in a trade to get a very solid young second baseman with three years of club control left.

Baez has had two solid seasons thus far putting up a .273 batting average in each of the last two seasons.  Baez also hit 14 and then 23 home runs the past two years with 59 and then 75 RBI’s.  He is also a strong defender.

The other deal the Angels have made been attempting to get done is for second baseman Cesar Hernandez of the Phillies. We inquired about Hernandez and the Phillies GM offered a trade of one of the Angels top prospects Jahmai Jones, Garrett Richards, and Eduardo Paredes for Hernandez.  We turned down this deal with my comment being to the Phillies GM that he must be smoking some strong stuff when he made that offer.

Cesar Hernandez would be great for the Angels, as he has been a solid second baseman with lead-off potential.  Hernandez would also have three years of club control which adds to his value. Hernandez has a career .284 batting average with a .357 OBP.  Hernandez is not a major power hitter like Baez as he only has 17 home runs in three seasons and 122 RBI’s with 52 stolen bases.

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• New York Post columnist has LA Angels bringing veteran starter back to LA
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• Why LA Angels’ Qualifying Offer to Raisel Iglesias could become historical
• Both Gold Glove finalists for LA Angels getting snubbed is a complete joke
• Marcus Stroman definitely appears to be interested in the LA Angels

So we tried a counter-offer of catching prospect Taylor Ward,  Eduardo Paredes, and Parker Bridwell.  We were turned down by the Phillies who said that either Richards or Jones had to be part of any deal for Hernandez.

We also were asked by the Yankees GM what it would take for us to trade Mike Trout and we replied with a deal for Aaron Judge, Luis Severino and two of their top prospects of their choice.  However, we have not heard back from them since.  Both myself and Vincent do not want to trade Trout and would only consider it for a real sweetheart of a deal. Even then it would be tough as the thought of Trout playing for either the Yankees or Red Sox makes me ill.

So there you have it thus far.  We will continue to update you on the progress we make or deals that are accepted.  Again we strongly encourage you to give us your best deal that make sense for the Angels either for a free agent or in a trade.  We will let you know what happens.