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.

Maybe they care, or perhaps they don’t, but I would imagine the Dodgers would not want to continue paying the luxury tax penalty in the next few seasons. The tax rate will hit 30 percent for the defending champs and will be raised to 50 percent if the Dodgers go over next season.

Bauer will make $45 million in 2022 if he does not opt-out, Clayton Kershaw will be a free agent, and Mookie Betts will make $25 million next season. If the Dodgers can compete without Price, I don’t see why they want to have an extra $16 million on the payroll for next year. The Red Sox will pay the other $16 million half from their previous deal.

The Angels can afford to take on that amount for next season. Only Mike Trout ($37.1 mil), Anthony Rendon ($36.5 mil), Justin Upton ($28 mil), and Shohei Ohtani ($5.5 mil) are on the books for next season. If he has a good season, a potential trade of Upton could lower that figure as well.

It would be a matter of how much the Halos value Price entering the 2022 season at 36-years old.

The Angels could get David Price at a low-salary for the 2021 season.

As for this season, the Angels currently have ~$18.8 million left on their payroll before hitting the luxury tax. Unless they plan on paying penalty fees, something that’s only happened once in Arte Moreno’s 17-year tenure, the Dodgers will need to take on a piece of Price’s 2021 salary.

It is something we have seen already this offseason. The Orioles will pay $10 million of Cobb’s salary, and the Cardinals are paying $14.75 million for Dexter Fowler to play for the Halos this season.

Would the Dodgers be willing to pay around half of $16 million to have Price pitch for someone else in 2021? If it’s an intriguing return package and gives Dustin May or Julio Urias a spot in the rotation, I don’t see why not.

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.