Early results hinting that one of Angels’ bigger offseason trades may be a brutal mistake

For a team that is operating under some very real payroll and roster constraints, the Los Angeles Angels were surprisingly busy. They completely remade their bullpen, for better or worse, with the additions of Kirby Yates, Jordan Romano, and Brent Suter. The rotation got some love as well, although the verdict is still out (at best) on the Grayson Rodriguez trade and signing Alek Manoah. However, the Angels' trade for Josh Lowe to bolster their lineup is not off to a great start.

Before this season, Lowe was a bit of an enigma. He had a fantastic 2023 season where Lowe posted a .292/.335/.500 line with 20 homers and 32 steals, but a series of soft-tissue injuries, with his obliques being especially problematic, derailed his career beyond that one season. Still, everyone at least understood the gamble that LA was making when they acquired him.

Unfortunately, through Lowe's first 23 games with the Angels, that trade is looking pretty rough.

So far, the Angels' trade for Josh Lowe has been a bust, but there is a silver lining

For the moment, any hope that Lowe will recapture his 2023 glory anytime soon feels very unlikely. With a .156/.225/.313 line across 72 plate appearances, Lowe has been (almost) unplayably bad at the plate, with only his three home runs being promising. Other than his bat speed, his advanced batted-ball metrics are even worse news for those looking for a source of optimism. Lowe did deal with an oblique issue this spring that could still be adversely affecting him, but that isn't exactly encouraging if true.

The good news is that at least one of the two pieces the Angels gave up for Lowe, right-handed pitchers Chris Clark and Brock Burke, isn't exactly making LA regret their choice. Clark is currently at Triple-A with the Rays, but he has only mustered a 7.36 ERA across 7.1 innings.

As for Burke, well...Angels fans may want to look away, because losing him, especially given the current state of their own bullpen, is proving painful. After landing with the Reds in the three-team deal, Burke has become a true high-leverage option in Cincinnati, posting a 0.79 ERA and 1.91 FIP through his first 12 appearances for the Reds.

There is certainly still time for Lowe to turn things around, especially if his struggles are injury-related. While his track record isn't exactly glowing, he is usually a significantly better hitter than this. However, the Angels need Lowe to be better than he has been the last couple of years, and, for the moment, he is trending in the wrong direction.

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