5 Angels players who are making John Mozeliak’s first trade deadline with LA much harder

The Los Angeles Angels are undergoing a sea of change right in front of our eyes. In many ways, this has been a long time coming and is a really exciting time. Interim GM John Mozeliak is saying all the right things right now, and it sounds like there are going to be some fundamental changes to how the Angels operate. While it remains to be seen if those changes are positive and/or will stick long term, but we will almost certainly see a difference in the draft and especially the upcoming trade deadline.

However, there is a bit of a problem. It may be true that Mozeliak is moving with purpose to put in place a strong plan for the Angels at the trade deadline, but there are a few Angels that are making that task far more difficult.

These Angels players are making John Mozeliak's first trade deadline in charge harder than it needs to be

The thing that both buyers and sellers want going into a big tentpole event like the trade deadline is certainty. Teams want to know what they are (and are not) playing for this year and exactly what potential trade candidates are going to provide the rest of the way. Without that certainty, any decision that is made feels like random chance as to whether or not it will actually accomplish anything. Unfortunately, LA has a few players that have a lot of variance to their profiles (as well as a couple trade chips whose value is headed in the wrong direction.

Jo Adell

There might not be a more frustrating Angels player to figure out than Jo Adell. Last year, we saw glimpses of what Adell is capable of as he carried the offense for multiple stretches. However, even though he SHOULD be one of the Angels' best trade chips, the inconsistency of his hit tool and .684 OPS doesn't make getting fair market value for him easy.

Walbert Urena

Part of the calculus when determining who you can sell at the trade deadline is what your team will be left with going forward. Jose Soriano and Reid Detmers are two of the more intriguing arms that could potentially be on the trade market this year, but dealing either of them is made harder if Walbert Urena's breakout stalls. At the end of the day, SOMEONE has to start for the Angels, and with Urena's start on June 26 being his worst of the season, the timing of his potential decline is not ideal.

Oswald Peraza

At the beginning of June, it looked like the Angels had stumbled upon a great trade chip in Oswald Peraza. On June 3, Peraza had a .283/.340/.462 line and appeared to be one of the more intriguing bats on the trade market, especially when you factor in his remaining team control. Unfortunately, over his next 19 games, Peraza has only been able to manage a .182/.182/.258 line which is...not what you want to see if you are in Mozeliak's shoes.

Sam Bachman

There was a period of time earlier in June where it looked like the Angels would have been well-served to try and trade Sam Bachman while his value was peaking. Through 25 appearances, Bachman had a sub-2 ERA and looked like he could command a real return, especially when you consider that he isn't even arbitration-eligible yet. However, two things have happened. One, he had a couple of rough appearances in the middle of June, and his swing-and-miss has decreased. Two, he has actually become MORE important to the Angels' current bullpen, so the team may not want to make him available at all. Oh, what a difference a few weeks can make.

Christian Moore

Speaking of uncertainty, no one seems to know what the Angels are doing with Christian Moore, nor do they know what role Moore will play with the Angels (or any other team) as a big leaguer. If Moore had hit in the majors, the Angels would have happily slotted him into their infield and made other hitters available in trade talks. Instead, he didn't hit and showed open disdain for his recent demotion, and now there is a real argument for Mozeliak to trade Moore instead. What a mess.

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