LA Angels Trade Market: Hunting for Starters in the AL Central

Chicago White Sox

In this trade, the Angels used something they have a plethora of in order to acquire starting pitching. Brian Goodwin proved last year that when he was a regular starter, he was a very good hitter. While his offense stagnated in the second half, that was largely due to his inconsistent playing time.

Justin Anderson is mostly a sweetener in this deal, as the White Sox bullpen still needs some help. If Anderson can utilize his slider more in 2020, he could be a high-upside arm out of the bullpen.

Trading away three seasons of Goodwin and a solid reliever is a high price to pay for Carlos Rodon in theory. Coming off of Tommy John surgery, he might not even be available for most of 2020. However, his arm has high upside. Thus far in his career, Rodon owns a 4.08 ERA. He has dealt with injuries for most of his career, and can’t be completely relied on.

That being said, if the Angels acquired Rodon, he’d arguably be the best pitcher not named Shohei Ohtani on their staff. While he hasn’t been an ace yet in his career, Rodon is entering his prime and could be the pitcher the Angels need to take their rotation to the next level.