An early look at 4 Angels players most likely to be traded by the trade deadline

Pitchers and catchers have already reported to Arizona. The Angels are still lingering in the market looking for upgrades, and some fierce battles for roster spots are about to be underway. While the team is working on forming the Opening Day roster it's important to remember the squad that ends the year will look much different than the one that starts it.

Besides injuries, depth shuffling, and the arrival of top prospects, the trade market will play a large role in how the roster evolves throughout the season. In fact, it would not be surprising to see the Halos make a trade during spring training, and it's a foregone conclusion that they will make more deals by the trade deadline.

Four players stand out as likely trade candidates, and depending on how the first half of the season plays out, they could find themselves eventually playing in a different uniform at some point in 2025.

1. Infielder Luis Rengifo

The versatile Luis Rengifo is entering his last season of team control and over the last three years has proven himself to be a valuable player. A switch-hitter who can play second or third base, Rengifo has shown that he can add value on the diamond in many ways.

In addition to his positional versatility, the soon-to-be 28-year-old has shown that he can do a little bit of everything at the plate. He has 20-homer potential after clocking 17 in 2022, and 16 in 2023. In 2024, he showed off a new level of contact prowess as well, hitting .300 in the 78 games he played prior to being shut down with a wrist injury.

Add in some speed, he stole 24 bags last year to go with wRC+ marks of 102, 114, and 117 from 2022-2024, and you have a nifty player that can fill several needs.

Of course, his relative youth, upward trajectory, and versatile skills should make him a prime extension candidate with the Angels, but there's been no news on that front and the Angels just took him to arbitration.

The skills he brings to the table, his $5.95 million salary and impeding free agency make him a cheap rental for a team in need of infield help. It seems like a foregone conclusion the Angels move on from him at some point this season. It wouldn't be a surprise if he didn't even make it out of spring training as his position on the roster faces pressure from new additions like Yoán Moncada and Kevin Newman, as well as top prospect Christian Moore.

Moore and Moncada could easily claim the starting spots at the second and third, while Newman figures to be the primary utility infielder which puts the squeeze on Rengifo. There are teams that still have holes in their infields and others that may come calling should an injury strike, so Rengifo will likely be a highly sought commodity.