After sweep of Phillies, Angels need to go all in... and fast

The Angels are once again on the cusp of .500, sitting one game below the mark heading into their series against the New York Mets. Fresh off of a series win against one of the best teams in the National League in the Philadelphia Phillies, Perry Minasian and the Angels' front office need to make their moves and buy now rather than wait until the deadline.

Strike now rather than wait

I understand the hesitation to buy right now. The team is a game below .500. They have series against the division rival Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers before the deadline. The mess of the 2023 deadline likely burns through every Angels' fans' brain at least once a day. If they wait another week, they may find out they actually are sellers and could take advantage of the market.

But the problem is that, barring a big losing streak this week, Arte Moreno and Minasian are going to be inclined to buy. Moreno wants to field the first Angels playoff team in more than a decade. Minasian wants to save his job in Anaheim. They both want to buy - otherwise they would have sold already. And if they are going to buy, shouldn't they do it with 63 games left rather than 50?

The Angels need a bump. They can't get over .500 to save their life. But anyone watching this team has seen a lineup that can mash with the best of them, two genuine aces in Yusei Kikuchi and Jose Soriano, and a bullpen that has the outline of a good group. While there are holes on this team, they are not excessive nor extreme, as they could be patched up by trading away mid-tier prospects or the organization could go for it all by sending top prospects for someone like slugging third baseman Eugenio Suarez.

Either way, the Angels need upgrades. And they should fill these holes now rather than wait another 10 days. If the front office believes in this group like the players do, then a few small upgrades to solidify the roster are all that is needed to contend in this Wild Card race. With an exceptional draft class coming in, the Angels are well positioned to move on from some of their older prospects ahead of the deadline. And if they are able to land a bat and some relievers, this team becomes a genuine threat to get to the playoffs and make some noise when they do.

And they should make those moves now.