Hansel Robles among potential Angels trade chips

The Los Angeles Angels entered the 2020 season with high expectations, but struggles could push them to be sellers at the trade deadline?

At 7-12 on the season, the Los Angeles Angels sit in a precarious position. They are on the outside looking in on a playoff spot, with two games separating them from second place in the AL West. It isn’t an insurmountable mark, but an unfortunate position to be in with a shortened schedule in 2020.

While there is still plenty of baseball in front of them, with 32% of the season completed, the team has plenty of reason to conduct itself with urgency. In addition to the speed in which the season is flying by, the Angels are also staring down their longest stretch of games in 2020, an 18-game slate that will start with the Dodgers on Friday, and include the Astros, Athletics, Giants, and Mariners.

Oh, and there’s this little thing called the trade deadline approaching as well.

There will be only one trade deadline in 2020, and as a byproduct of the COVID-19 delays, that important appointment will fall on August 31st. That gives the Angels 18 days to assess whether they are contenders or not, and whether they’ll get a head start on planning for 2021.

If the latter course is chosen, the Angels may begin looking at trade chips they may not bring back next season. There will be decisions to be made in regard to pending free agents, arbitration-eligible players, others that may be deemed replaceable next winter.

With that in mind, it’s never too early for us to start looking at some of the Angels potential trade chips and why they may be appealing to contenders down the stretch.

Angels Trade Chip – Hansel Robles (RP)

Earlier this winter, when we were still wondering if there would even be baseball in 2020, we took a look at which Angels we deemed as potentially untouchable in trade talks. At the time, we listed Hansel Robles as an honorary mention. At the time, we said the following:

“While he is controllable for the next two seasons and should be cost-effective even during his last two turns through arbitration, that’s also part of what makes him attractive to potential buyers. There is also the volatility in regard to relievers in the game, and most teams that sell high often make out better than the teams that opt to hold on to pieces.”

That proved to be a fairly foreboding statement. Robles, who was coming off of a stellar 2019 season where he went 5-1 with 23 saves, and a 4.69 K/BB ratio was expected to be the anchor of the bullpen. However, he got bombed early and ultimately lost his role after a blown save on August 1st.

So did the Angels wait too long to trade Robles and cash in high? Perhaps, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t value here.

After the rough start to the season, he’s spun off four-consecutive scoreless outings while striking out seven and walking just one over his last 3.2 innings of work. While its a small sample size (as were the off terrible early appearances), it’s a positive sign for a pitcher many wrote off early in the season.

If Robles can string together another few solid outings, he may regain his role as the Angels closer. However, he could also find himself in high demand if suitors feel they are getting something closer to the 2019 version.

Angels Trade Chip – Andrelton Simmons (SS)

Unlike Hansel Robles, Andrelton Simmons is a known commodity with a proven track record of success in the league. You now exactly what you’re going to get from him; a glove-first shortstop that is going to chip in enough offense to say so.

Simmons, who is set to be a free agent after the 2020 season, will be an interesting case study for the Angels. He’s finishing up a contract that pays him $15 million this season (before prorating), but it is ultimately doubtful that the Halos will want to invest that amount again for a 31-year-old coming off of back-to-back seasons with ankle injuries.

That said, there is still a lot to like about Simmons outside of his would-be cost. He’s one of the most decorated defenders to ever play the game. He rarely strikes out and has shown some occasional pop in his bat at times. Additionally, he has a reputation of being a great teammate that will leave it all out on the field.

In a season where injuries and illnesses have been prevalent, Simmons could certainly have appeal to a contender down the stretch. Of course, he still has to return from his current ankle injury and show he has value before the deadline.

Since the Angels would be unlikely to extend him a qualifying offer, trading him at the deadline is the likeliest outcome if they have no intent on bringing him back next season.

Angels Trade Chip – Tommy La Stella (IF)

Here is where things get a little tricky.

Tommy La Stella has become a integral part of the Angels lineup since being acquired in an off-season trade in the winter of 2019. Always a popular bench piece, the Angels gave him a chance to start last season, and he ran with it, putting up a .295/.346/.486 slash line with a career-best 16 home runs, a wRC+ of 122, and a 2.0 fWAR.

That output put him on a lot of teams’ radars, but there was always the wariness that it was such a flash in the pan that his performance wouldn’t be sustainable. However, he’s put those worries to bed in 2020 by hitting .288/.413/.442 with a wRC+ of 146 to start this season.

So why would the Angels be looking to move on from him rather than simply re-signing him this winter? Well, the return of Andrelton Simmons to the lineup may show exactly why.

The aforementioned Simmons is due to return from an ankle injury that he suffered during the team’s first few games. In his absence, David Fletcher has manned shortstop with La Stella handling the everyday duties at second. The plan entering the season was for Fletcher and La Stella to platoon at second base, with the latter also seeing time at first to give Albert Pujols a breather.

If that is indeed the plan moving forward when Simmons returns, La Stella could find himself on the short-end of the playing time. Fletcher has been a huge piece of the offensive picture to start the season and he’s regarded as a much better defender as well. That may make La Stella expendable, enabling the Angels to sell high on a player that cost them next-to-nothing to acquire.

However, if Simmons is the one that gets flipped, La Stella may indeed stay home and potentially be offered an extension by the Angels at an affordable rate.