1 realistic Angels trade target from each MLB team

AL Central trade targets

Chicago White Sox trade target: Lucas Giolito

Lucas Giolito is coming off a dreadful 2022 where his ERA was just shy of 5.00 and his H/9 was way up. I'm of the belief that a lot of that came to some dreadful batted ball luck (.340 BAbip), and that he'll be a solid starting pitcher once again in 2023. He was a top 11 Cy Young finisher in each of the last three seasons before his rough 2022.

Giolito is in the final year of team control and is projected to make $10.9 million dollars. It's very possible the White Sox decide they don't want to keep him long-term and trade him away to get value. If they do, the Angels should be all over it. He'd be a tremendous buy-low target.

Cleveland Guardians trade target: Amed Rosario

The Cleveland Guardians are known to trade away most of their talent before hitting free agency and it's possible Amed Rosario is the next one to go. He's in the final year of team control before hitting free agency after the season. He's coming off his best season where he slashed .283/.312/.403 with 11 home runs and 71 RBI. He led the league with nine triples and stole 18 bases.

Rosario doesn't walk a lot but he tallies a lot of hits and has tremendous speed. He's also played in at least 141 games in every 162-game season he's been a part of (excluding the 2020 shortened season). With the Angels needing an upgrade at shortstop, Rosario could be a solid trade target.

Detroit Tigers trade target: Joe Jimenez

Joe Jimenez enjoyed his best season in the bigs by far for Detroit this past season as he had a 3.49 ERA in 62 appearances and 56.2 innings pitched. He had a 12.2 K/9 while walking just 2.1/9. His 5.92 K/BB ratio was unbelievable. He only allowed four home runs (0.6 HR/9). A 3.49 ERA isn't too crazy but he had a 2.00 FIP suggesting he got incredibly unlucky.

He's entering the final year of team control in 2023 and with Detroit likely not competing for anything, it's possible they ship him off now while his value is high. Jimenez looks very legit and would slot in very nicely at the back end of this Angels bullpen.

Kansas City Royals trade target: Scott Barlow

Scott Barlow has some of the nastiest off-speed stuff in the game. Opponents hit just .189 with a 33.1% whiff rate against his slider and .138 with a 43% whiff rate against his curveball. He was in the 89th percentile in whiff rate and the 97th percentile in chase rate according to baseball savant.

He went 7-4 with a 2.18 ERA for Kansas City this past season. He converted 24 saves in 28 opportunities and added six holds as well. He was used in all of the Royals' highest-leverage spots. He even displayed an impressive ability to record more than three outs in an outing, doing so 16 times including six appearances recording six outs.

Barlow has been underrated for awhile now and if he's available, should be a pitcher the Angels try hard to acquire. He has two years of team control left so he won't be easy to acquire, but with the Royals likely not being competitive once again in 2023, maybe they'll trade Barlow while his value is high.

Minnesota Twins trade target: Jorge Polanco

The Twins have a bit of an infield logjam. They traded away Gio Urshela to the Angels but traded for Kyle Farmer the same day. They have Jose Miranda at third, Luis Arraez who can play first or second, Nick Gordon, Edouard Julien, and Royce Lewis. They're also trying to bring back Carlos Correa. All of these infielders could make Jorge Polanco expendable.

Polanco is coming off a down year where he hit just .235 with 17 home runs in 104 games but he's been one of the better offensive middle infielders for a while now.

While Polanco has played more second base recently, and is definitely better suited there, he did come up as a shortstop and has extensive experience there. He'd be a massive upgrade offensively over Fletcher at shortstop and if the Angels don't want to play him there he'd be a massive upgrade at second base also.

He's slashed .270/.338/.459 with 19 home runs and 63 RBI over his last four seasons and that includes the shortened 2020 season where he struggled. He's making $7.5 million dollars this season, has a $10.5 million dollar vesting option for 2024 which vests if he has 550 plate appearances this season, and a $12 million dollar club option for 2025. This is a bargain for the 29-year-old.

AL East trade targets

Baltimore Orioles trade target: Keegan Akin

Keegan Akin is a guy who was a failed starter but excelled in his first year coming out of the bullpen for Baltimore. Akin appeared in 45 games for the Orioles and started only one. The start came as an opener in the second game of a doubleheader.

Akin proved to be an extremely valuable member of the Orioles bullpen, giving them multiple innings more often than not. He was a bridge guy to their dominant back-end guys.

Akin would be valuable in a similar role for the Angels. He can get lefties and righties out and anyone who can give length has value. He's under team control through 2026 so he wouldn't be given away but can be acquired if the Angels were interested.

Boston Red Sox trade target: Ryan Brasier

Ryan Brasier is a guy the Red Sox were considering non-tendering at the deadline but opted to keep. He struggled last season posting a 5.98 ERA in 68 appearances but got incredibly unlucky, suggested by his 3.61 FIP.

He walked just 1.9 batters per nine while striking out 9.2/9. The 1.3 HR/9 isn't horrible either. Where Brasier really went wrong was the .335 BAbip opponents had against him. I'm confident he can be a solid middle reliever if the Angels were to acquire him. With Boston considering non-tendering him and being in the final year of team control, he'd be cheap to acquire as well.

New York Yankees trade target: Clarke Schmidt

Something the Yankees have that the Angels lack is quality pitching depth. This has allowed them to turn a starting pitcher, Clarke Schmidt, into a reliever. He's a starter in the minors but the Yankees never have a spot for him in their rotation. He's made some spot starts but has never been given the opportunity to pitch consistently every fifth day. With that in mind, he's a guy the Angels can trade for and give that opportunity to.

Schmidt has pitched well in his role as a long reliever for the Yankees. He went 5-5 with a 3.12 ERA in 29 appearances (three starts). He even had two three-inning saves this season. He's proven he belongs at the big league level but the Yankees have so many arms they don't let him stay up all year. The Angels should try and pry this right-hander away.

Tampa Bay Rays trade target: Tyler Glasnow

I never really know what the Rays are going to do. Tyler Glasnow is a guy who missed most of the last two seasons but the Rays gave a one-year extension that now has him under team control through the 2024 season. This could be to make him a more palatable trade asset, or it could be to actually keep him. The Rays never want to pay their own players, so it's really hard to tell.

If Glasnow is available, the Angels should try and acquire him. He hasn't been healthy recently, but when he is, he's elite. He had a 2.66 ERA in 14 starts in 2021 and looked like the Glasnow of old in the few appearances we saw from him this season. He has elite strikeout stuff and is awesome to watch. He'd cost a ton and would be a risk because of the injury history, but if he stayed healthy he'd be so worth it.

Toronto Blue Jays trade target: Bo Bichette

Bo Bichette is a name that's been discussed as a trade target recently. Bichette alongside fellow star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is under team control through the 2025 season. With Toronto unlikely to pay both of them and likely to choose Guerrero Jr. over Bichette, it's possible they could trade Bo.

Bichette is a great hitter. He's led the AL in hits in each of the last two seasons and has hit 24+ home runs in those seasons as well. He's been a top-twelve MVP finisher in each of the last two seasons. The downside with Bichette is his defense. He had an abysmal year at shortstop, committing 23 errors and ranking in the 7th percentile in outs above average according to baseball savant.

The defense has to improve but the bat is too good to ignore. It'd take a ton to get him, but the Angels just so happen to have a highly touted shortstop prospect in Zach Neto who Toronto would likely be interested in. A Bichette deal is highly unlikely, but if he's available, the Angels should really consider a trade. He has a superstar bat at a premium position.

NL West trade targets

Arizona Diamondbacks trade target: Joe Mantiply

Joe Mantiply came out of nowhere and was one of the better relievers in the National League in 2022. He had a 2.85 ERA in 69 appearances and 60 innings. He gave up just six home runs and walked only six batters in those 60 innings while striking out 61 batters. His 10.17 K/BB ratio was impossibly great.

Mantiply was the Diamondbacks all-star representative because of his great season. Despite this only being his second full season in the majors, Mantiply is 31 years old already. It's possible that the young Diamondbacks will want to trade him away while his value is high.

The Angels would be getting a southpaw with four years of team control coming off an unbelievable season. He likely won't be this good again, but he should still be a good option to turn to.

Colorado Rockies trade target: German Marquez

Rockies pitchers are always very hard to judge. They make most of their starts at Coors Field so their numbers will be naturally inflated but you never really know how good they actually are. One way to try and decide whether a Rockies pitcher is good or not is by looking at the home/road splits.

At home, German Marquez had a 6.70 ERA in 16 starts. On the road, he had a 3.43 ERA in 15 starts. In his career, he has a 5.08 ERA in 85 home appearances (84 starts). On the road, he has a 3.77 career ERA in 87 appearances (85 starts).

It's clear that Coors Field is why German Marquez had a 5.00 ERA in 2022. If he pitched anywhere else he'd be significantly better. With that in mind, the Angels should trade for him. He has only one year remaining on his contract for $15 million dollars with a $16 million dollar club option for 2024.

Marquez is a guy who's pitched at least 162 innings in each of the last five full seasons (excluding 2020). He's pitched in at least 180 innings in each of the last two seasons. He'd be a valuable innings eater that the Angels can slot into the middle of their rotation and expect solid results. With the Angels only visiting Coors Field for one series, Marquez should have much better numbers if the Angels were to acquire him.

Los Angeles Dodgers trade target: Justin Bruihl

Something the Dodgers have that the Angels lack is substantial quality pitching depth. The Dodgers have three lefties on their roster for the bullpen in Alex Vesia, Caleb Ferguson, and Victor Gonzalez who would slot ahead of Justin Bruihl. For that reason, Bruihl could be an Angels trade target.

He only has 45 career appearances in his two seasons but Bruihl has a 3.40 ERA and a 125 ERA+ in 42.1 innings pitched. He doesn't strike guys out but he also walks few.

He's struggled against righties but has held lefties to a .195/.239/.230 slash line with no home runs in 94 plate appearances. He can be useful in certain situations for the Angels.

The Dodgers are trying to win and won't be looking to trade away their good players, especially to the Angels. With that in mind, Bruihl is nothing but depth for them and would probably make the Angels Opening Day bullpen.

San Diego Padres trade target: Drew Pomeranz

The Padres are a team that will likely be in the Luxury Tax again and could move on from Drew Pomeranz for some cap relief.

The southpaw missed the entire 2022 season after undergoing Flexor Tendon surgery in August of 2021. He was experiencing discomfort in September as he was attempting to come back so he was shut down.

The Padres just spent a ton of money to keep Robert Suarez and have Josh Hader projected to make $12.2 million dollars for 2023. With them having other lefties like Tim Hill and Adrian Morejon in their bullpen, it's possible the Padres don't want to pay the $8 million dollars Drew Pomeranz is owed and ship him off for an asset or two.

If this is the case, the Angels should be all in. Before his injury, Pomeranz was elite. He had a 1.62 ERA in 47 appearances after arriving in San Diego in 2020. He struck out 59 batters in 44.1 innings pitched while allowing just three home runs. He'd be a great option to have alongside Jimmy Herget at the end of games.

San Francisco Giants trade target: Mike Yastrzemski

If the Angels decide they don't want Jo Adell or Mickey Moniak to serve as their fourth outfielder, Mike Yastrzemski could be a player they target. He signed a one-year $6.1 million dollar deal for this season. While it's expensive for a fourth outfielder, I'm sure he'd come in handy for the Angels.

He's a guy who can play all three outfield spots and was in the 77th percentile in outs above average according to baseball savant.

He doesn't hit for a very high average but he hit 17 home runs this past season and draws a ton of walks. He'd be a big upgrade over what the Angels have right now in terms of bench options for the outfield.

NL Central trade targets

Chicago Cubs trade target: Nico Hoerner

Nico Hoerner probably won't be available in a trade, but it's not completely out of the question. The Cubs are pursuing the high-end shortstops in free agency and that's where Hoerner played primarily in 2022. They have some young talent like Christopher Morel and Nick Madrigal who can play in the middle infield if Hoerner were to be shipped off. The Angels would need to blow them away, so it's unlikely, but it's not impossible.

With that being said, Hoerner could be a guy the Angels look at and give a lot up for. He slashed .281/.327/.410 with ten home runs and 55 RBI. He stole 20 bases in 22 attempts and played elite defense at a premium position. He ranked in the 98th percentile in outs above average according to baseball savant.

He doesn't hit for much power but he had just an 11% strikeout rate which was in the 98th percentile while his whiff rate was in the 98th percentile. He's the kind of hitter the Angels lack in the power and strikeout-heavy lineup.

He's under team control through 2025 so he wouldn't be cheap, but I really don't think he'd be impossible to acquire.

Cincinnati Reds trade target: Luis Cessa

Luis Cessa has spent most of his career as a reliever but he made starts in each of his final nine appearances of the season. He allowed three runs or fewer in all but one of those starts and once he was stretched out he went at least five innings in six out of his seven starts in September.

Cessa could be used as a low-end sixth starter or he can be used out of the bullpen. He's had success in both spots. This is his final year of team control so Cincinnati won't be asking for too much for this right-hander and the Angels get a decent arm to plug into their staff. The Reds don't have much to give up, so Cessa will have to do.

Milwaukee Brewers trade target: Willy Adames

After the Hunter Renfroe trade, I question the Brewers' commitment to winning in 2023. They already traded Josh Hader away when he wasn't even a free agent after the year and maybe they're going to start a rebuild. If they do, Willy Adames might be one of the first players to go.

Adames isn't a typical shortstop offensively. He doesn't hit for a very high average and strikes out a lot but he has a ton of power. He slashed .238/.298/.458 with 31 home runs and 98 RBI. He's a terrific defender as well, ranking in the 97th percentile in outs above average according to baseball savant.

He's under team control through the 2024 season, so they might look to deal him now while he has an additional year of control attached to him. With the Angels needing a shortstop and them being unlikely to spend big for one, a trade for Adames might be the way to go.

Pittsburgh Pirates trade target: David Bednar

David Bednar proved his terrific rookie season was no fluke by being arguably even better in 2022. He had a 2.61 ERA in 45 appearances and 51.2 innings pitched. He struck out 12.0 batters per nine while walking 2.8/9 and allowing 0.7 HR/9. He was an all-star this season.

Bednar missed almost two months with a back injury but returned in late September and allowed one run in five innings.

Bednar had ten appearances where he recorded more than three outs including one eight-out save in St. Louis. He recorded four saves of at least six outs. He had 19 saves in 23 opportunities overall for the Pirates.

Bednar is under team control through 2026. The Pirates don't appear to be close to winning yet, so they could trade him now before he gets expensive and loses value later on. They'd be able to get a lot for him. He'd slot right in as the Angels closer for 2023 and beyond.

St. Louis Cardinals trade target: Paul DeJong

The Cardinals are a team without much that I think they'd be willing to trade that'd help the Angels in 2023. I know a guy they'd be very willing to trade is Paul DeJong. Hear me out, Angels fans.

After his 30-home run campaign in 2019 DeJong has been a disaster offensively. He's slashed .182/.269/.352 with 25 home runs and 70 RBI in 190 games in the last two seasons. He's owed $9 million dollars for the 2023 season with club options for $12.5 million dollars and $15 million dollars for 2024 and 2025 respectively. Unless things change dramatically, those options, of course, will be denied.

While DeJong has been awful at the plate, he's one of the best defensive shortstops in the game. With that in mind, the Angels could maybe trade David Fletcher and his two extra years to St. Louis in a bad contract swap that gets rid of the money quicker for the Halos. Both are horrible hitters but DeJong is better defensively at shortstop than Fletcher is.

It wouldn't be pretty, but it could be a pretty shrewd way of getting that Fletcher money off the books.

NL East trade targets

Atlanta Braves trade target: Bryce Elder

Bryce Elder served as the Braves' sixth starter essentially in 2022 and was used when a pitcher was hurt or needed an extra day. He had ten appearances and nine starts for Atlanta.

In his last six starts of the season, he allowed just six earned runs in 32.2 innings pitched. He had a 1.65 ERA in that stretch and struck out 33 batters. It's important to note that those starts came against the Marlins and Nationals, but still impressive nonetheless.

Elder is just 23 years old and can be used as the Angels' sixth starter or as a long reliever/swingman. The Braves won't be looking to trade away their great players, but Elder might be acquirable.

Miami Marlins trade target: Pablo Lopez

Pablo Lopez has been a popular name in trade rumors for what feels like years, and for good reason. The Marlins are loaded with young pitching led by NL Cy Young winner Sandy Alcantara and are starved for some offense. Lopez has just two more years of team control, so trading him for a bat or two makes a lot of sense for Miami.

The Angels could definitely use another starter and Lopez would make what's already arguably a top-five rotation even better. He's a player Angels fans have expressed interest in.

Lopez made 32 starts in 2022 which is huge for him as he never made more than 21 in the first four years of his career. He had a 3.75 ERA and a 3.71 FIP in 180 innings. He'd fit in nicely into the middle of the Angels' rotation.

New York Mets trade target: Tylor Megill

With the Mets likely signing multiple starting pitchers in free agency, Tylor Megill probably won't be a part of the Mets' rotation. He could pitch in the minors and be a depth option, he could also be a reliever, but it wouldn't be shocking if the Mets considered trading him.

Megill has shown some good flashes in his brief big-league career. He was the Mets' Opening Day starter this past season and had a 2.43 ERA in his first six starts. His season ERA was inflated from his seventh start when he allowed eight runs in 1.1 innings. He then went on the injured list. Once he returned from injury he struggled, and then got hurt again. He came back at the end of the season as a reliever.

Megill is a high-strikeout pitcher who could have a decent future as a starter. He could be a good player for the Angels to take a flier on for the sixth starter spot.

Philadelphia Phillies trade target: Bailey Falter

Bailey Falter is a guy who was in the bullpen, then in the minors, and found his way in the Phillies rotation to end the year (over Noah Syndergaard).

Since being plugged into the rotation full-time, he had a 3.00 ERA in nine starts. He allowed three runs or fewer in eight of the nine, going at least six innings in five of those starts.

Falter is another southpaw and doesn't strike many out but wouldn't be the worst choice as a sixth starter and long reliever. He's certainly better than what the Angels have right now.

Washington Nationals trade target: Kyle Finnegan

Kyle Finnegan is a guy who's spent time as the Nationals' closer in each of the last two seasons, recording 11 saves in each season. He also had 14 holds this season and only four blown saves. Finnegan made 66 appearances in 2022 with 66.2 innings pitched and striking out 9.5 batters per nine.

In this Angels bullpen, Finnegan wouldn't serve as the closer, but he'd be a good arm they can use in the seventh or eighth inning. He has good stuff and has shown he can be pretty good in high leverage.

He's 31 with three years of control left. This awful Nationals team will want to trade him while his value is high, I wouldn't be surprised if it happens this offseason.