LA Angels Weekly Buzz: Shohei Ohtani Speaks

The LA Angels made a trade earlier this week for left-handed pitcher Dillon Peters of the Miami Marlins. The 26-year old has limited experience in the big leagues, and has struggled in the MLB. His minor league numbers are impressive, and if he can figure out what steps he needs to take to find MLB success, Billy Eppler has a role for him.

The Angels sent right-handed pitcher Tyler Stevens in return. Stevens was an 18th round pick for the Halos, and never offered much upside within the organizations. For the Angels to take the chance and trade him for an upside-arm in Peters is a quality move by Eppler and Co.

While the Angels have not been reported in on any specific trades, fans have reached out wondering about a couple of possibilities, so we’ll discuss those here.

The hottest rumor right now is the Mets’ shopping of ace Noah Syndergaard. While the Angels obviously have a need at starting pitcher, the price for “Thor” may be too steep. The Padres, who are among the top landing spots, reportedly won’t include Fernando Tatis Jr. in any discussions for Syndergaard.

Given the Angels do not have a prospect of Tatis Jr.’s value (#2 ranked prospect per MLB.com), it is likely the Mets could receive better packages elsewhere. On top of that, Billy Eppler has been public about his desire to keep the farm system intact.

One team the Angels could potentially trade with is the Arizona Diamondbacks. While Paul Goldschmidt is not likely considering Albert Pujols is sticking at first base, Zack Greinke is an interesting name.

Greinke has been one of the best pitchers in baseball throughout his career, and has shown he is not slowing down with age. Greinke struggled in his first year with Arizona, but has bounced back with a 3.20 ERA over the last two seasons. The Diamondbacks would have to eat a large portion of Greinke’s paycheck, but the Angels may be able to strike a deal if they fail to bring in any free agent help.