Angels just turned being MLB's worst team into a sneaky good waiver pickup

It’s been another down-year for the Los Angeles Angels, but being bad (somtimes) has its perks. When Major League teams make waiver claims for players who were recently designated for assignment, priority goes to the team with the worst record. That allowed the Angels to swoop in and snag pitcher Trevor Martin off waivers from the Tampa Bay Rays over the weekend.

Martin was selected in the third round of the 2022 MLB Draft out of Oklahoma State. His numbers weren’t especially strong as a starting pitcher, so the Rays made the call to covert him into a reliever last season.

Martin made six appearances for the Rays this season with a 3.97 ERA in 11⅓ Major League innings pitched. In Triple-A, however, he had a 3.09 ERA in 27 appearances and 43⅔ innings pitched. He had 49 strikeouts to 22 walks and in 2025 he owned a 3.38 ERA in the minors. Martin allowed four home runs during his brief MLB stint, so that's obviously something he'll need to clean up.

There’s certainly no guarantee that Martin will work out for the Angels, but scooping him up of waivers is still a wise move. The Angels’ bullpen has been a mess for most of the season, leaving them little reason not to take a flier on a pitcher like Martin. He's pre-arb eligible, and with three minor league options remaining, can be stashed away in the minor leagues.

There's a possibility Martin can insert himself into the conversation to be part of LA's bullpen next season. If he struggles, the Halos can release him and they've effectively lost nothing.

Angels must exhaust every resource as they look to make the roster better

It’s going to take time for the Angels to improve their roster. Interim GM John Mozeliak, who will likely take on a larger role with the organization, has experience building a winner from his time with the St. Louis Cardinals, but this isn't going to be a quick fix. Under-appreciated moves like acquiring Martin are part of a larger strategy that can help the Angels moving forward.

Whether it’s signing free agents, making trades, or scouring the waiver wire Mozeliak has to work absolutely every angle if he wants to turn the ship around.

Angels fans have to hope there comes a day where they don’t have the priority on waiver claims, but while they have do, LA might as well take advantage of the situation and see if they can find some diamonds in the rough.

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