Angels fans should be relieved these 2 players were not acquired at trade deadline

The Angels were fringe contenders at the trade deadline, and they also have one of the thinnest farm systems in the league. Their fence-sitting on July 31st aggravated fans to no end, as some wanted to sell off a major league player or two and others wanted the team to push in more chips for any available major league talent. For the latter camp, trading for Andrew Chafin, Luis García and Oswald Peraza was not nearly enough. There were dozens of traded players who would have inspired more hope.

Well, it's a good thing that fans do not run teams. They assuredly would have dealt members of the farm system for players who were available that have been brutal this month.

Angels fans should be relieved these 3 players were not acquired at trade deadline

Luis Robert Jr.

Robert Jr. not being moved from Chicago means they were asking for more than interested teams were willing to part with. In theory, the centerfielder provides major SLG at the plate while covering ample outfield ground. However, Robert is a much more theoretical player in 2025 than an actually productive one. Much like Yoán Moncada, Robert has succumb to many injuries in recent years that have turned him into a shell of his former self.

Robert Jr. was just placed on the 10-day injured list, and general manager Chris Getz admitted there is a chance he does not return this year. He will end the season with a .223 batting average, 14 home runs and 33 stolen bases, plus two $20 million club options for 2026 and 2027.

Fans would have been thrilled if the Angels ponied up for Robert Jr. and stuck him in between Taylor Ward and Jo Adell in their outfield. Sure, bringing in Robert Jr. after acquiring Tim Anderson and Moncada in the offseason would have made the Angels the butt of more jokes. Why not go get Eloy Jimenez and Jose Abreu at that point too? However, the upside play would have been obvious if they put a George Klassen and/or Nelson Rada on the table for Robert Jr.

It's best to avoid more former White Sox moving forward, and Robert Jr. in particular.

Taj Bradley

The Rays had a roster crunch at the trade deadline, and decided to move off of Taj Bradley in favor of a rotation of Shane Baz, Drew Rasmussen, Adrian Houser, Ryan Pepiot and Joe Boyle. Tampa Bay flipped Bradley to the Twins for Griffin Jax, who held a considerable amount of value on the open market thanks to an elite K/9 and experience as a high-leverage reliever.

Bradley made a lot of sense for the Angels, who are currently sporting just four starters in their rotation, but Halos genuinely would have needed to dip deep into their bag of assets to produce one on par with Jax. The Twins will not judge Bradley harshly, or be judged by the baseball community for the trade based on the starter's performance this year, but he has gotten off to a rough start for Minnesota.

Upon arriving to the Twins organization, Bradley was sent to Triple-A St. Paul (he spent a small amount of the season with the Rays' Triple-A team this year too). After three starts, Bradley was recalled for an appearance on August 24th against the White Sox. He allowed nine hits, seven earned runs and posted a 1:1 K:BB as the losing pitcher of record against the lowly ChiSox.

All of this is a small sample size for sure, but Tampa Bay got a great set-up man for Bradley and are known for selling players off at the perfect time. Nine times out of ten, the Rays seemingly trade players who wind up never reaching the heights they did before. The Angels are desperate for pitching, but dealing for Bradley would have felt like fool's gold.

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