Angels Rumors: 3 reasons the Halos should trade for David Price

This offseason has seen the Angels address one of their biggest weaknesses from last summer, pitching. General Manager Perry Minasian has revamped the bullpen while adding Jose Quintana and Alex Cobb to the starting rotation.

Both pitchers can be solid improvements, but neither is the ace the Halos have lacked in recent years. If the Angels choose to add a top of the rotation starter to improve their championship-odds, they should look no further than down the road for Dodgers pitcher David Price.

The Angels trading for Dodgers starting pitcher David Price is a deal that could make sense for both sides.

As we know, the campaign for Trevor Bauer to Anaheim did not work out. Throwing more salt in the wound was Bauer choosing the defending World Series Champions in Chavez Ravine.

Depending on what you value, avoiding $40 million a year might have been for the best, but it proves the Dodgers are not satisfied. They have an ownership and front office willing to do whatever it takes to build a dynasty. This mindset should be admirable for the other 29 teams in Major League Baseball.

While the addition of Bauer adds to an already loaded Dodgers team, it also means one pitcher could be left out of the five-man rotation. The signing pushes the Dodgers over the luxury tax penalty for the second straight season.

The surplus of talented arms brings depth and opens up the possibility of trade scenarios. Our frenemies over at Dodgers Way suggested the Halos should be inquiring about Price, and I would have to agree.

The Dodgers have proven they were capable of winning a World Series without David Price, who opted out of the 2020 season. Price is currently the second-highest-paid player on the roster, which could be more of a reason the Dodgers would trade the former Cy Young winner.

If so, the Angels should be calling for the following reasons.

I don’t think there is a set rotation for the Angels in 2021 at the moment. There are several candidates, but I believe manager Joe Maddon will use spring training to determine a five, or even a six-man rotation he has talked about before.

Angels 2021 Rotation Options:

• RHP Dylan Bundy
• LHP Andrew Heaney
• LHP Jose Quintana
• RHP Griffin Canning
• RHP Alex Cobb
• RHP Shohei Ohtani
• LHP Patrick Sandoval
• RHP Jaime Barria

I think a safe bet for a five-man rotation would consist of Bundy, Quintana, Cobb, Heaney, and Canning. Though, this can all change in the next month or so.

The other candidates could see themselves taking the mound at some point in the season, barring injuries or poor performance of other players.

Acquiring David Price gives the Angels the true ace they have lacked in recent years.

Having a surplus of arms also opens the door for a potential trade of one or more of these current starters. Only Ohtani is under contract for 2022, while Canning, Sandoval, and Barria will enter arbitration. Bundy, Quintana, Heaney, and Cobb will be free agents at the conclusion of this season.

At some point, the Angels will need additional help in the rotation. If it makes sense, I don’t see why they would not get this out of the way now. I have also suggested a trade for Sonny Gray and starters on the Rockies.

As mentioned, Price did not play in a shortened 2020 season. Maybe the extra year off will help the 35-year old, or it could be a bad thing. There’s no way to tell until he takes the mound.

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It’s been a while since we’ve seen Price in true All-Star form in the regular season, but how he’s performed in recent years is arguably better than most Angels starters in that span.

David Price Last Five Seasons:

• 2015: (32 games) (18-5, 2.45 ERA) 220.1 IP 1.076 WHIP 9.2 K/9 (All-Star)
• 2016: (35 games) (17-9, 3.99 ERA) 230 IP 1.204 WHIP 8.9 K/9
• 2017: (16 games) (6-3, 3.38 ERA) 74.2 IP 1.192 WHIP 9.2 K/9
• 2018: (30 games) (16-7, 3.58 ERA) 176 IP 1.142 WHIP 9.1 K/9
• 2019: (22 games) (7-5, 4.28 ERA) 107.1 IP 1.314 WHIP 10.7 K/9

Maybe Price can return to his dominant form, but aside from his statistics in the regular season, he has tons of postseason experience and fits another theme we’ve seen from offseason additions so far.

So far, there have been four player-additions who Joe Maddon has previously coached in their careers.

The Angels signed outfielder Jon Jay to a minor-league contract on Thursday, so we can add him to the list.

Current Angels Who Previously Played for Maddon:

• LHP Jose Quintana (Cubs 2017-2019)
• RHP Alex Cobb (Rays 2011-2014)
• OF Dexter Fowler (Cubs 2015-2016)
• OF Jon Jay (Cubs 2017)

This is no coincidence, as Minasian has already said the Angels want a ‘certain type’ or player for their clubhouse. While some of these players may be past their primes, each will be great leaders on and off the field. All four of those names played significant roles on playoff teams in their tenures with Maddon. The Halos have made the postseason once in the last 11 seasons, so building a winning-culture is the first step towards a World Series.

From 2008-2014, Price was Maddon’s ace during their time in Tampa Bay. The left-hander put up the best numbers in his career (3.18 ERA 1.142 WHIP) while earning an AL Cy Young award and four All-Star appearances in those seven seasons.

David Price is a proven winner, and that alone brings value to an Angels team that has not won in quite some time.

Price would bring a winning attitude to an Angels team that has not finished above .500 since 2015. The big lefty also carries nine years of postseason experience.

There were struggles for the better part of his playoff career, but Price finally put it all together for the Red Sox in 2018. Price posted a 1.98 ERA and 0.951 WHIP in 13.2 innings during his two wins for Boston in the World Series.

Maybe this current group of starters could give the Angels a chance to reach the postseason, but having a proven ace will take the pressure off inexperienced starters.

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If the ‘price is right’, I don’t see why the Angels shouldn’t take a shot on David Price. Moreno and Minasian can play Moneyball with all of the low-risk moves, but at some point, the Angels will need to roll the dice if they plan on winning a World Series any time soon.