Top 5 moves LA Angels could make for now and the future before trade deadline

The LA Angels have been teetering on being part of the wild-card race.  Enough so that general manager Billy Eppler is at least exploring the Angels trade options that could improve this year’s team.

So with that being said what could we potentially see the LA Angels doing to improve their team before Wednesday’s trade deadline.  This is a good question to ask.  Most everybody who follows the Angels knows what their most glaring weakness is: PITCHING. More specifically starting pitching.  What can the Angels do to improve this area?

What will the Angels have to give up to get anyone that could make a difference in 2019 may be too hefty a price to pay.  The Angels have been very patient since Billy Eppler came on board in trading prospects for major league talent.  One of the few deadline deals the Angels made in the last couple of seasons was a deal in 2017 to get Justin Upton from the Tigers where they gave up a promising young pitcher Grayson Long.  However, the Angels faired well in this deal as Long is no longer in baseball due to injuries.

The only other deal of consequence that was made was last season when the Angels traded Ian Kinsler to Boston and received relievers Ty Buttrey and Williams Jerez in return.  Buttrey has become a permanent fixture in the back-end of the Angels bullpen and Kinsler helped the Red Sox win the World Series in 2018, but is now on the Padres struggling to keep his career alive. So we will have to see what this year may bring if anything. Let’s explore the potential trade targets for the Angels.

Noah Syndergaard is a potential ace that the Angels have been craving for the past couple of seasons.  He has tremendous talent with a 44-27 career record with a 3.21 ERA. This season Syndergaard has been inconsistent with a 4.33 ERA and a 1.263 WHIP.  However pitching for a mediocre Mets team cannot be good for his psyche as their have been times when he has itched very well and lost.

To get him in Angel Red may be a tall order though as the Angels would have to give up multiple high-level prospects to get Syndergaard which would almost assuredly include Jo Adell and possibly even Jose Suarez or Patrick Sandoval.  Would this be a good move for the Angels to make is debatable and has cause lots of debate on the Angel fan sites.

If somehow the Angels could get Syndergaard without sacrificing Jo Adell or any high-level pitching prospects then it would be worth it. The chances of that happening is very slim especially with 8 to 10 teams after him some of whom have much more high-level prospects that they could throw the Mets way.

Chances for Angels to land Syndergaard – D-. 

Zack Greinke Is a name Angel fans should be familiar with after making a short stop in Anaheim in 2012.  Greinke was traded to the Angels from Milwaukee in hopes of pushing them over the top, but it didn’t work out that way.  Greinke has since gone on to pitch for the Dodgers and now the Arizona Diamondbacks and has continued to be an elite arm.

Greinke has a career record of 197-122 with a 3.36 ERA.  This season he is 10-4 with 2.87 ERA and a 0.943 WHIP.  He is 35-year old which is a little bit of a concern especially with two years left on his contract at 32 million dollars per season.  This will make it harder for the Diamondbacks to trade him which would be to the Angels benefit as they may not have to give up as much in the prospect department if they are willing to take on the entirety of his contract.

Greinke would fit in nicely into the Angels rotation and could be a good veteran presence for the younger pitchers.  The asking price would probably one higher level prospect such as Brandon Marsh or Jahmai Jones.  Then probably two lower level prospects maybe a Hector Yan or Cooper Criswell and possibly a Kevin Maitan.

Chances for the Angels to acquire Greinke – C+ .

Matthew Boyd may be the most intriguing candidate that the Angels could possibly get.  He is still very young at 28 and he also still has three years of club control at a very reasonable salary.  Boyd is a lefty with a tremendous upside, but his career numbers are very pedestrian.  Boyd has a 28-43 record with a 4.85 ERA and a 1.307 WHIP.

This season Boyd is 6-8 with a 3.95 ERA and a 1.126 WHIP.  He could fit in nicely into the top of the Angels rotation for years to come.  Couple Boyd with Shohei Ohtani and you have serious one-two punch for three years to come.  The problem with Boyd is that he could come at a huge cost. The Tigers would probably ask for Jo Adell and a couple of mid-level prospects to get a deal done.

Boyd would be one of the type of controllable pitchers that would be worth giving up a top prospect to acquire. The Tigers are playing the Angels right now so it could be a quick trip across the field if the Angels were to acquire Boyd.

Chances for the Angels to acquire Boyd – C

Tanner Roark is a wild-card candidate that the Angels could acquire for a little less than the rest of the pitchers mentioned. Roark is 70-60 in his career with a 3.63 ERA and a 1.226 WHIP.  Roark is a 32-year old who has good stuff and just plain knows how to pitch.  He may not be the ace that the Angels are looking for, but he would be a good second or third starter.

This season Roark has a 6-6 record with a 3.95 ERA and a 1.374 WHIP.  Roark would not cost as much as he would be a free agent after the 2019 season.  The Angels could probably get him for maybe a Jahmai Jones and maybe Aaron Hernandez.  If the Angels could resign him it would be great

If the Angels do decide to play Let’s Make a Deal it could help boost the team this season and hopefully for years to come. Hopefully it will not come back to haunt them later on.