4 Angels players who are tanking their trade value ahead of crucial deadline

Denzer Guzman hasn't become a coveted trade chip for the Angels

With a league-worst farm system and no clear path to contention, it hasn't seemed likely that the Angels would be dealing prospects, but rather trying to acquire them, at the trade deadline.

With that said, one player stands out as a guy who could have been dangled for help on the major league roster due to his boom-or-bust potential. That player is Denzer Guzman.

Guzman, 21, is commonly regarded as one of the best second-tier Angels prospects, ranking in the back-half of the club's top-10 prospects according to most outlets. The issue for Guzman has always been projection versus reality.

A toolsy shortstop prospect, Guzman has the athleticism and arm strength to not only handle the position but thrive playing it. With that said, he also has the quick twitch reflexes to play the hot corner if that's what's warranted, and his 6-1, 180-pound frame provides room for additional muscle without sacrificing a ton of athleticism.

Offensively, Guzman has a stroke that can provide above-average pull-side power with a line drive approach, according to Baseball America. However, they also note that he has issues with swing decisions and plate discipline that have hampered his ability to fully tap into his offensive tools.

After signing as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic for a hefty $2.1 million, Guzman has been aggressively promoted through the Angels' system, despite a lack of results more often than not.

In 2024, arrived at Double-A Rocket City as a 20-year-old and struggled mightily against the advanced competition, posting a .206/.297/.304 line with six home runs in 342 plate appearances.

2025 has been his second year with the Trash Pandas, and despite some early flashes in addition to some work at the hot corner, Guzman has not produced consistent results. On the season, he's slashing .205/.292/.358, and while his five homers in 171 plate appearances are better than last year's power production, most of his offensive value has been sapped by a lack of contact and a way-too-high 26.9% K-rate.

There may have been a world where Guzman produced enough to garner value on the trade market, but not enough to make the Angels firmly believe that he was finally tapping into his immense tools consistently, leading them to sell high in an effort to help the big league roster.

That has not come to fruition, and Guzman's entire future, let alone value as a trade chip, is in serious doubt.