Angels signal clear trade deadline plans after four-player deal with Nationals

As the entire baseball world prepped for what should be an exciting deadline, the Angels finally made their intentions clear by trading for relief pitchers Andrew Chafin and Luis García from the Washington Nationals. The Halos sent LHP Jake Eder and 1B prospect Sam Brown back to Washington, meaning they were able to bring in the relievers without giving up any truly valuable assets in the process. Eder was acquired for cash after the White Sox DFA'd him earlier this year, and Brown's a mid-tier prospect. Even though Eder and Brown are not marquee names, the Angels would not trade two young players in exchange for veteran relievers if they were not going for it!

Angels signal clear trade deadline plans after four-player deal with Nationals

With this trade, it becomes official that the Los Angeles Angels are making a genuine push for the playoffs this season. For the past two months, if not longer, this team has been talked about as unsure whether they would be potential sellers or potential buyers. With every loss, selling expiring contracts made a lot of sense. With every win, a glimpse of a dark horse playoff contender slugging their way through the postseason appeared. After two wins against the Texas Rangers, Arte Moreno seems to have given general manager Perry Minasian the green flag to go for glory in 2025. 

While some did point out that this is by no means a boom-or-bust trade, it does signal the Angels’ intentions. Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register suggested this could merely be a move to fill the bullpen in case the Angels do wind up trading away other relievers. While anything can happen with the trade deadline still almost a full day away, the Angels are on the trade market and acting as a team that wants to win games in 2025. 

Luis García is a familiar name for Halo fans, as his return package when the team traded him to the Boston Red Sox last season was a huge success. Now, he joins Ryan Zeferjahn - who was a part of that return - in the bullpen in hopes of providing stability for the Halos in the late innings. The bullpen has been shaky in July, and some veteran reliability could do wonders at The Big A. 

Andrew Chafin has posted a 2.70 ERA this season for the Nationals, getting the job done on a regular basis in Washington. He’ll likely be used as one of the first relievers out of the bullpen. 

With these two in tow, the Angels can check off one of their bigger needs as a team. With a lot of time left until the deadline, replenishing their bench/outfield and finding one more starting pitcher would make this team into a genuine threat in the AL Wild Card race. 

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