Angels suddenly have one intriguing trade chip nobody saw coming

The Los Angeles Angels will once again enter the trade deadline as sellers, this time facing the prospect of a long lockout that could threaten most (if not all) of the 2027 season. Given that context and the team's far-off proximity from contention, pretty much anything that's not nailed down should be considered fair game on the trade block.

That brings us to Ryan Zeferjahn, a right-hander with a whopping 4.5 years of team control remaining. Those kind of affordable arms aren't usually the type rebuilding teams tend to trade, but given the volatility of relievers and his recent hot streak, it might behoove the front office to seek out a sizable deal this summer.

The mercurial reliever came out of the gates in a rut, allowing a 5.96 ERA in his first 25.2 innings of work. However, since wrapping up May with an ugly outing against the Rays (four runs allowed in one-third of an inning), Zeferjahn has quietly been one of the best bullpen arms in baseball. He's compiled a 0.82 ERA, 2.56 FIP, .057 opponent batting average, and 40.0% strikeout rate in 11 innings in June.

If he can keep that performance up over the next month or so, the Angels may suddenly have one of the most attractive trade chips on the market come August 3.

Ryan Zeferjahn holds the keys to an Angels trade deadline blockbuster

Pre-arb relievers with years of team control don't often become available if they're any good; instead, it's the rental types who tend to hog all the attention this time of year. While Zeferjahn can't stack up to big-name closers like Aroldis Chapman or even Luke Weaver, he does have a distinct advantage thanks to his contract status.

That factor is also what would give the Angels the leverage they need to hold a bidding war for a middle reliever. There is precedent for such a deal, like when the Cubs traded Scott Effross (then with more than five years of team control remaining) for one of the New York Yankees' top pitching prospects, Hayden Wesneski.

Even just last year, the Blue Jays shocked the world by acquiring Louis Varland from the Minnesota Twins, surrendering outfielder Alan Roden and organizational top-five prospect Kendry Rojas in the process. Varland has since blossomed into one of the league's best closers, which is the risk with such a trade, but they paid a pretty price to do so.

If Zeferjahn can keep his June hot streak alive into July, his combination of recent success and team control will make him irresistible to a contending team. In such a world, the Angels would be foolish not to at least explore his trade market.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow