MLB insider puts good odds on Angels moving a slugging outfielder, mentions Phillies

The Los Angeles Angels desperately want to end the longest active postseason drought in baseball, but they also need to be realistic. They desperately need major and minor league starting pitching, bullpen arms and left-handed hitters, and they have several trade chips to dangle to bolster those facets of the organization. It just so happens that the Angels do have several intriguing outfielder prospects who could be given some run next year, given that they trade off one of their premier corner outfielders.

Jon Morosi is predicting that the Angels will do exactly that -- deal one of their win-now players in exchange for some help in other areas.

MLB insider puts good odds on Angels moving a slugging outfielder, mentions Phillies

Per Morosi: "I would say a better than 50/50 chance that they move one of their significant veteran outfielders, Jo Adell or Taylor Ward."

Morosi's logic was that MLB teams would be vetting free agent Kyle Tucker's price tag, get spooked and want to deal a prospect for Adell or Ward instead. He also speculated that the Philadelphia Phillies would assuredly want to get in on the bidding if the Angels were to actually move one of their corner outfielders.

Now, every general manager listens to offers. Perry Minasian has definitely been listening to offers on Taylor Ward and Jo Adell for multiple years now. If a team offered the team good value in exchange for one of them, Minasian surely would pull the trigger. However, teams have not offered Minasian sufficient value in return for two of the now-preeminent sluggers in the American League.

Morosi mentioned the Philadelphia Phillies specifically as a team that would kick the tires on either Ward or Adell. The Phillies could slot in either next to Brandon Marsh into their outfield, especially with Nick Castellanos and Harrison Bader's futures in Philly in doubt. Minasian has previously made notable trades with Dave Dombrowski -- he swapped Brandon Marsh for Logan O'Hoppe, and Noah Syndergaard for Mickey Moniak and Jadiel Sanchez. The Phillies would prefer dealing for Mike Trout, but both Trout and the Angels know that will not happen anytime soon.

Ward would be the ideal candidate for the Angels to move, while Adell would be the ideal candidate for other teams to acquire. Ward is older and on an expiring contract, while Adell is younger, has more potential, is cheaper and under contract longer term.

If the Phillies put Andrew Painter on the table for either outfielder, the Angels simply must listen. If he is not on the table, then perhaps the Angels could just try their luck on one of the many impending free agents the Phillies are likely going to let walk instead if they want to pluck their players.