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2 Angels players who definitely won't get traded this offseason, 2 who still could get dealt

The Angels have not been active on the trade market this offseason but that can change.

By Zachary Rotman |
Sep 19, 2023; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Patrick Sandoval
Sep 19, 2023; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Patrick Sandoval / Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports
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The Los Angeles Angels remain one of the more inactive teams around the league, doing virtually nothing to get better after losing Shohei Ohtani. MLB Insiders are still expecting the Angels to do something, but time is running out for them to do anything of note.

As time continues to pass by, it continues to feel less likely that the Angels will make an impact signing. Whether Arte Moreno is just refusing to give Perry Minasian the green light in free agency or the Angels GM just doesn't like any free agents remains to be seen, but more and more free agents continue to come off the board and none of them have been signing with the Angels.

While free agency gets less appealing by the day, the trade market is still an avenue the Angels have explored in the past but haven't touched this offseason. It still feels like a couple of players could wind up getting dealt while a couple of others will certainly stay put.

Patrick Sandoval definitely won't get traded this offseason

Patrick Sandoval is a player who felt like the Angels could make available coming off a rough year in an effort to upgrade what is still a lackluster rotation. Using Sandoval, a pitcher with potential and with three years of control could've gotten the Angels something good back in return. Fortunately (or perhaps unfortunately for the non-Sandoval believers out there) it doesn't feel like he's going anywhere.

The Angels had a rough year from their starting pitchers in 2023, but are hoping with new pitching coach Barry Enright that things will improve. The Angles did rank sixth in the majors in rotation ERA back in 2022 before regressing last season. Shohei Ohtani obviously played a big role in that, but the Angels had encouraging seasons from a number of their young pitchers with Sandoval sticking out as the most impressive.

It remains to be seen if the Angels want Sandoval as part of their long-term plans, but trading Sandoval coming off a down year probably wouldn't be smart. The Angels hope he can put together a better year for them in 2024.

Taylor Ward still can get traded this offseason

It's been a relatively quiet offseason when it comes to rumors, but one rumor involving the Angels has them targeting a pair of outfielders in Michael A. Taylor and Adam Duvall.Both of these outfielders are coming off strong seasons and neither would be signing on to be a bench player. Sure, those players probably wouldn't play every single game, but they'd have fairly major roles if the Angels brought them in.

The way things look right now, Los Angeles already has a full outfield. Taylor Ward, Mike Trout, and Mickey Moniak figure to start with Jo Adell serving as the fourth outfielder. No, Adell has not earned a guaranteed spot yet, but with him being out of options, he's going to make the team barring a trade. The Angels won't want to DFA him and risk losing him for nothing.

If the Angels sign an outfielder, someone would likely have to go. Trout is not going anywhere, and it feels unlikely that they'd rush to trade Moniak after he broke out. Adell could be traded, but again, it's hard to see outfielder of Taylor or Duvall's caliber signing on to be a fourth outfielder. That leaves just Ward who probably isn't likely to go anywhere, but he still can.

The 30-year-old has three more years of control and can absolutely help a team out in need of a corner outfielder. We've seen how good he can be when right, and if the Angels don't want him long-term, his value won't ever be much higher than it is right now. Using him as part of a deal to improve the rotation or potentially boost the farm system are two avenues the Angels could potentially take.

Brandon Drury definitely won't get traded this offseason

Heading into the offseason there were whispers about the Angels potentially dealing Brandon Drury. The second baseman was coming off a terrific first season with the Angels, but with one year left on his deal and the likelihood that Shohei Ohtani was going to walk, it felt like the Angels might actually entertain a rebuild.

Well, you might not realize it based on the moves (or lack thereof) that the Angels have made, but this team is still not interested in rebuilding. That means that the veterans who might have value on the open market will be staying put, at least for now.

Drury was a Silver Slugger finalist for a second year in a row, and was the Angels best hitter not named Ohtani. With how weak free agency is, particularly in the infield, the versatile Drury who is on a very affordable $8.5 million contract for this upcoming season, might've had a lot of value.

Unless the Angels are offered a player who can help them win now, it's hard to see them entertaining anything for Drury until the trade deadline at the earliest. That'd only occur if the team is out of playoff contention by then. For now, the Angels feel set on trying to compete with Drury playing a major role in that.

Jose Suarez still can get traded this offseason

Of any Angels player who can get traded, Jose Suarez still feels like the most likely. Suarez had a chance to prove he belonged as a member of the Angels rotation of the future after a solid second half in 2022, but he couldn't have done much worse. The southpaw had a 9.62 ERA through his first six starts and then spent most of the season on the IL.

He did pitch better in relief to finish the year, but he couldn't have done much worse than he did as a starting pitcher. If he were to stick around, it'd likely be in the bullpen in a long relief role.

What makes Suarez so disinteresting is the fact that he's out of options. This means he has to either stay with the MLB team or be at risk of getting DFA'd and the Angels losing him for nothing. Suarez is going to get a chance to make the team, but perhaps once the Angels realize he's not cut out for it, they can trade him for something before they inevitably lose him for nothing.

Suarez has pitched five years with the Angels now and has yet to prove he belongs on a MLB roster. Sure, he's left-handed and has shown some occasional flashes, but he has a 5.38 ERA in 77 MLB appearances. At some point, the Angels are going to have to cut their losses and accept he might not be the answer. Trading him now before he loses all of his value makes the most sense.

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