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3 players who LA Angels need to trade for as soon as MLB lockout ends

By Evan Desai |
Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Luis Castillo (58) prepares to pitch in the fifth inning of the MLB
Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Luis Castillo (58) prepares to pitch in the fifth inning of the MLB / Albert Cesare / The Enquirer via Imagn
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Sep 24, 2021; Oakland, California, USA; Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Frankie Montas (47)
Sep 24, 2021; Oakland, California, USA; Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Frankie Montas (47) / Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports

The LA Angels have made a trade this offseason with their Tyler Wade acquisition, but haven't been active in trades for pitching.

If they want to make sure they don't waste Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtanis' careers, they need to make sure they go ahead and make trade packages for starting pitchers.

Currently, their starting rotation looks like this:

1. Shohei Ohtani/Noah Syndergaard

2. Shohei Ohtani/Noah Syndergaard

3. Patrick Sandoval

4. Jose Suarez

5. Michael Lorenzen

6. ???

With many of the top free agent starters already gone, the Halos are going to have to resort to the trade market.

No. 3 player who LA Angels need to trade for as soon as MLB lockout ends: Frankie Montas

According to Jim Bowden of CBS Sports, the LA Angels have already "had conversations with Oakland about Frankie Montas." It makes sense, as many are expecting the A's to host a fire sale when the lockout ends, and the Halos of course desperately need starting pitching.

And Montas is exceptional at his job. This year, he threw an AL-leading 32 starts, and posted a 13-9 record with a 3.37 ERA. It certainly was no fool's gold, as his FIP was also 3.37 and he recorded a 1.182 WHIP.

Striking out 10 batters per nine innings, it was his third season in double-digits like that. The only question Montas had entering this past season was regarding his durability, and he certainly proved that he's durable.

He did it while also recording a 121 ERA+. What exactly are the Angels waiting for?

Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Luis Castillo (58) pitches in the first inning of the MLB baseball
Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Luis Castillo (58) pitches in the first inning of the MLB baseball / Albert Cesare / The Enquirer via Imagn

No. 2 player who LA Angels need to trade for as soon as MLB lockout ends: Luis Castillo

In many eyes, Luis Castillo is the best starter on the market. And the LA Angels are interested. Multiple insiders have reported that, including Bowden in the same report as the one he reported our interest in Montas.

Castillo is still under 30, and is coming off of a year in which he too led his league in starts (33). It's important that the Angels go after these guys who are going to throw a lot of innings due to the Halos' injury issues last season. In his impressive five year career, Castillo has recorded a 3.72 ERA, a 123 ERA+, and a 9.8 K/9 rate.

Castillo was an All-Star in 2019, and would have been an All-Star in 2020 if there was an All-Star Game. Even in the year we posted an 8-16 record, having arguably the worst year of his career (2021), he still had a sub-four ERA, a 3.75 FIP, and gave up just 0.9 home runs per game.

To be as transparent as possible, Castillo walks more guys than I'd like. He's walked 3.3 batters per nine innings in his career, and led the NL with 75 walks this season. It's hard to be discouraged by acquiring him, however, when realizing that he still gives up very few runs.

Sep 23, 2021; Oakland, California, USA; Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Chris Bassitt (40)
Sep 23, 2021; Oakland, California, USA; Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Chris Bassitt (40) / D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports

No. 1 player who LA Angels need to trade for as soon as MLB lockout ends: Chris Bassitt

Chris Bassitt was another starting pitcher that Bowden said the LA Angels have called the A's about. And I don't even think I need to explain why, but I'm going to because I want to point out just how good Bassitt would be for this team.

Bassitt was an All-Star this year, and like Castillo he would have been an All-Star in 2020 if the game didn't get canceled. In these last three years, Bassitt has posted a 3.26 ERA, a 1.128 WHIP, and a 128 ERA+. He was a key to the A's playoff teams in 2019 and 2020, and had the second-best year of his career this season.

There's so much to like about Bassitt these last three years, as he's figured out how to stay healthy in that time frame. Batters only hit .218 against him this year.

Next. Top 3 Angels first basemen of all-time. dark

Bassitt, like the other two on this list, will cost legit compensation. If the Halos can't acquire any more starters in free agency, however, they will have no choice but to go for one of these guys. If not, they risk wasting yet another year of the two best players in baseballs' primes.

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