1 realistic Angels trade target from each MLB team

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.