LA Angels Trade Market: Making A Trade With Every NL West Team

With the offseason in full swing, the LA Angels focus is on free agency. However, there are trades to be made, and we’ll be taking a look at every team in the MLB through this trade series.

We’ll begin with the LA Angels neighbors in the National League, as we take a look at one trade the Halos could stand to make with each of the five teams in the NL West.

I’m going to start off the article with the Rockies, simply because I touched on why the Angels would be a great fit for Jon Gray a couple of weeks ago. For the complete article on why that would be the perfect trade to jumpstart the offseason, click here.

Essentially, if the Angels are going to be spending big money on one (or two or three) free agent pitchers, they’ll need cost-efficient starters to fill out the rotation. Gray is under team control for two more seasons, making him a great fit for the Angels going forward.

The prospects sent away are pretty straightforward. Matt Thaiss’ pop that he showed in year one would only be amplified in Colorado. Meanwhile, Patrick Sandoval’s method of pitching would work well in the higher altitude. While the Angels would possibly have to give up a little more value, that would still be worth it when trading for a pitcher as good as Jon Gray.

Los Angeles Dodgers

This may start to seem repetitive at some point, but a lot of these trades are going to be focused on starting pitchers the Halos could acquire. Ross Stripling has worked both out of the bullpen and as a starter during his time with the Dodgers, but could be made into more of a full-time rotation piece of trades away to a team who needs him more.

The Dodgers simply haven’t needed Stripling to be a constant in their rotation due to an abundance of pitching talent. And even when they lose Hyun-Jin Ryu (a perfect fit for the Angels) in free agency, they have Dustin May and other prospects to fill the void.

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In this deal, sending Jaime Barria as a cost-controller arm for years to come makes sense in return for Stripling. Obviously a one-for-one deal wouldn’t be fair, so I added in two prospects in Jahmai Jones and Kevin Maitan.

These players were thrown in for a specific reason. The Dodgers have needed infield depth for years and years, and maybe they can unlock the potential in Jones. Maitan, in a similar way, maybe needs a fresh start somewhere. And there’s no better place for a new start than the Dodgers, who seem to be the best at turn bronze prospects to gold.

San Diego Padres

While he didn’t spend too much time in Anaheim and ultimately got a World Series ring by being traded, it did seem like Ian Kinsler’s time with the Angels was cut short. This trade resumes their partnership, and would be smart if the Angels are truly in “win-now” mode going into 2020.

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Obviously, parting ways with Luis Rengifo would be tough. The youngster showed a lot of promise last season and has five years of team control left. A one-for-one swap wouldn’t be fair from the Angels side, so I went ahead and added a mid-level prospect in Joey Cantillo (more on him later).

The theory in this swap is that the Padres need a bench piece who can play multiple infield positions. Their infield is set with Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., the recently traded for Jurickson Profar, and Eric Hosmer. Kinsler can only play second base, so adding versatility (and financial flexibility) with Rengifo makes a lot of sense for this team moving forward.

For the Angels, Tommy La Stella and David Fletcher can play multiple infield positions. Matt Thaiss can also play first and third base. They’re in the opposite predicament from the Padres. Adding Kinsler for this season would solidify their middle infield, and they have the flexibility with their starters to always have Kinsler playing second base. He’s also only owed $4 million this year, so won’t restrict the team in free agency.

The sweetener in this deal is Joey Cantillo, a left-handed pitcher selected in 16th round of the 2017 MLB Draft. There’s a pattern in Cantillo’s development, as he has struggled each time he makes a jump up to a higher level of baseball. However, he has come back each time and proven himself. The southpaw finished 2019 with a 2.26 ERA across two lower levels, and projects as a mid-rotation piece in a year or two.

Arizona Diamondbacks

Admittedly, I am not 100% certain on this trade. Robbie Ray had a down season last year, but is a prime bounce back candidate and (assuming the Angels sign at least one top-tier pitcher this offseason), would be an exceptional piece in the middle of the Angels rotation. Given the Angels’ need for as much starting pitching as possible, I think this is a deal they could explore.

The Diamondbacks have a huge hole in their outfield, and have reportedly been in on the center fielder market. Despite having an elite player in Ketel Marte, they seem to want him logging innings at second base rather than in the outfield. If they hope to accomplish that, they’ll need to sign or trade for a capable center field.

Brian Goodwin proved to be just that last year, and was a great hitter when given consistent playing time. When his playing time stagnated, his numbers dipped some. However, if he was made the Diamondbacks main center fielder, I don’t think they’d be disappointed in the results.

This is all dependent on one player that has yet to be mentioned: Jo Adell. The Angels top prospect has had a breakout offseason, and seems ready to take over as the future in right field. If the Angels are confident in his abilities, this trade is essentially sending the team’s fourth outfielder for a pitcher with ace-level potential.

That’s what we like to call a no-brainer, folks.