3 Angels prospects who should not be traded and 2 who should

The 2023 season has been a rollercoaster filled with the highest of highs and the lowest of lows for the Los Angeles Angels. We've seen this team go as high as eight games over .500, doing impressive things like winning series in Texas. We've also seen this team win a game 25-1 and lose the other two games of that series against the lowly Rockies.

Throughout everything, the Angels are right where they were when they started the season. An even record. The Halos are 48-48 on the season after taking the first two games against the reeling Yankees. They're nine games back of first in the AL West but just 4.5 games back of the final Wild Card spot.

A postseason appearance is unlikely for this team, but the Angels have made it abundantly clear that if they're within striking range of a playoff spot they're going to go for it. A 4.5 game deficit is within striking range. That means some of the Angels top prospects will be available, for better or for worse. Some of these prospects can be moved, but others the Angels should be holding on tightly to.

LA Angels prospect Logan O'Hoppe should not be moved at the trade deadline

Logan O'Hoppe isn't really a prospect anymore, but he doesn't have enough at-bats in the majors to exclude him from prospect rankings. This gives me the opportunity to say that the Angels should not, under any circumstance, trade this guy away.

O'Hoppe was their number one prospect entering the season and remains in that first slot. O'Hoppe began the year as the starting catcher and got off to an unbelievable start, slashing .283/.339/.547 with four home runs and 13 RBI in 16 games.

O'Hoppe was leading the Angels in home runs and RBI throughout a good portion of the month of April before landing on the IL with a torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder. This was a big blow as the Angels lost one of the better hitting catchers in the game.

The Angels have treaded water at the position thanks to Matt Thaiss and Chad Wallach playing well for a while, but both have struggled of late. Wallach in particular. The Angels need O'Hoppe back and healthy, and they should get their wish sometime down the stretch.

Regardless of whether the Angels are buyers or sellers, O'Hoppe shouldn't go anywhere. He's the catcher of the future, and I couldn't be more excited.