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

The Angels are doing everything in their power to destroy top pitching prospect Caden Dana's value

To be clear, the pitching-needy Angels likely were never going to trade their prized top prospect, however, if the opportunity presented itself to acquire a young, cost-controlled ace, the team may have been forced to part with 21-year-old Caden Dana as the package headliner.

Despite the potential that has him almost unanimously ranked as the Angels' no. 1 prospect and a part of most top-100 lists, Dana's faced his fair share of challenges over the past year.

He arrived on the scene as a September callup last season at the tender age of 20, generating much buzz and excitement. Somewhat unsurprisingly, he struggled mightily making the leap from Double-A to the bigs, making just three starts and tallying 10.1 innings, and posting a 9.58 ERA.

During that time, it became clear that he was struggling with finding a consistent recent point, changing his arm angle depending on which pitch he threw and effectively tipping his pitches to big league hitters who were too savvy not to notice.

Still with optimism high, he entered spring training as a dark horse rotation candidate, but ultimately had an uneven showing with one dominant outing sandwiched between several that ranged from subpar to disastrous.

Dana began the season at Triple-A Salt Lake, reaching the minor league pinnacle for the first time in his young career. Over the first few weeks of the season, he displayed the same level of dominance that he had last season at Double-A, and at one point looked like an option to help stabilize the Halos' scuffling rotation.

Instead, the Angels have taken a strange approach that only seems to serve to his detriment, calling him up twice now to serve as the sacrificial lamb to save a worn-down bullpen and then immediately sending him back down once the bludgeoning is over.

Dana's two big league appearances in 2025 have seen him log six innings and post a 7.50 ERA. Meanwhile, his performance at Salt Lake has cratered as well, with him now owning a 5.21 ERA amid some recent struggles.

While the Angels seem hell-bent on breaking his confidence, his struggles at the Triple-A level matter more. No longer can he serve as an MLB-ready centerpiece to land a serious difference maker on the trade market, and while it's too early to write off his MLB future, his recent struggles are something to keep a close eye on.

More LA Angels News from Halo Hangout