Angels need to part ways with their long-rumored trade chip immediately

Assuming they stay within a stone's throw of a wild card spot before July is over, the Angels should both sell off the expendable assets on their roster while also acquiring win-now players. Unfortunately, the Angels do not have the most robust array of available MLB players with trade value due to productivity, contractual or age concerns. For example, Jorge Soler and Tyler Anderson have all three of those issues -- they might not swing the needle too much for a contending ball club, do not have desirable contracts and are in their mid-30s. The most opportunistic thing the Angels can do this month is trade Luis Rengifo, whose name has popped up in rumors recently.

The past month (from June 10th on), Rengifo has played his way back into Angels fans' good graces. Obviously his production could not possibly have gotten worse, but Rengifo actually has been pretty reliable in that time span. He ranks in the top-five of Angels players in batting average (.283), OBP (.330), SLG (.434), OPS (.765), K% (19.8%) and wOBA (.333) in the last 30 days. Rengifo's solidified the bottom-third of the batting order and second base with Christian Moore shelved, but will this production maintain through the rest of the season? He's posted an atrocious .232/.271/.315/.587 slash line for the season, so his play the past month could be anomalous for all we know. His trade value certainly will not get any higher than it is right now!

Angels need to part ways with their long-rumored trade chip immediately

With Rengifo, you never know when the physical maladies are going to creep up. Remember in spring training when the utility man was set to take centerfield reps but was too injured to do so? Oddly enough, Rengifo has been one of the more durable players for LAA this season since those concerns from February/March -- his 85 games played are tied with Jo Adell for third most on the team. The 28-year-old has already played more games in 2025 than he did in 2024, and is well on his way to surpass his career-high of 127 from 2022.

The Angels and their fans have done this song and dance before with Rengifo. For example, after the Angels failed to deal him last trade deadline, he played nine games post All-Star break. Rengifo slashed .318/.374/.587/.960 post 2023 ASB, but played his final game on September 7th. Teams around the league have long been enticed by his ability to put balls in play and not strikeout. So, if someone else is willing to bet on his health and uptick in production the past month, it behooves the Angels to deal him for pitching.

Speaking of injury concerns, Yoán Moncada is back in the Angels' lineup, Moore should be back next month and Chris Taylor soon after the All-Star break. Kevin Newman is technically a fill-in option at second and third base too. One could undoubtedly make the case that Rengifo will be the most productive player of those five the rest of the season. However, this is as much of an infield surplus the Angels could deal from as they have had in years. Not to mention that Rengifo is on an expiring deal and he is definitely not returning to Anaheim in free agency. In theory, Moncada and Moore would be playing every day -- so, why keep Rengifo if he would simply be a bench player?

The Angels could try and swing a trade for a swing Triple-A/MLB reliever with remaining MiLB options for Rengifo -- a higher floor, lower ceiling type who they could plug into their bullpen. Think of a Cooper Criswell (Angels legend) from Boston or Allan Winans from NYY as a fine return for Rengifo. Someone who can come in, eat innings and potentially benefit from a larger opportunity is more valuable to the Angels than keeping around an oft-injured, future bench player on an expiring contract whose output at the plate and in the field have been suboptimal this season.

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