3 potential desperate buyers LA Angels need to take advantage of at trade deadline

Not every year do teams have the opportunity to score big on trades for slightly above average talent. But this could be the year in Anaheim!

The Los Angeles Angels will be sellers this next month and a half. Nobody cares how Arte Moreno wants to spin it, but the Angels need a rebuild from bow to stern. It couldn't be more obvious with how things have transpired over the last five years.

Some of the Angels that have been talked about in potential trade discussions are Taylor Ward and Tyler Anderson. They both have multiple years of control, and that is sometimes more valuable than overall talent.

If that's the case, could the Angels take advantage of some teams when the time comes? What potential desperate buyers are out there that might pay a premium for those guys?

Baltimore Orioles

The Angels need to find a franchise that is dying to win a World Series — that would give the most in a return for average players.

The Baltimore Orioles are known for their building from within and being patient. However, in 2024, the Orioles are under new ownership. They got Corbin Burnes in the offseason, but every single time they start to get healthy, two more starting pitchers go to the IL.

The Orioles are stacked with offensive prospects. Coby Mayo and Jackson Holliday are obvious names, but it's doubtful the Orioles are short-sighted enough to give away either of them even for a year and a half of Tyler Anderson.

Heston Kjerstad, Enrique Bradfield Jr., Dylan Beavers, and Connor Norby are the next level down of prospects. Norby is a prospect to keep an eye on. All reports believe that the Orioles still have Holliday as a future star. Norby plays second base and can handle the outfield. He’s been average in his first stint of games with the club, but if the Orioles trade for a middle infielder before the deadline to get some experience, Baltimore might be open to moving Norby (or someone like him).

The Orioles have one of the best ranked farm systems in the league. We could see them interested in Taylor Ward, Tyler Anderson, or even both. That could help the Angels get a sizable haul in return.

Los Angels Dodgers

With how much the Los Angeles Dodgers spent this offseason, they still don’t own the best record in the National League. That honor goes to the Philadelphia Phillies.

After Tyler Glasnow, the Dodgers don’t have a reliable starter that isn’t coming off injury, so they're going to need pitching help. Shohei Ohtani isn’t available on the mound until next year, and pitchers like Gavin Stone and Yoshinobu Yamamoto have never played in the MLB postseason. If the Angels wanted to go the pitching route in prospect returns, the Dodgers would be who to call.

Nick Frasso leads the way. He’s 6-foot-5 and has nasty stuff. He had a torn labrum in 2023, but at his floor, he could be a late-inning reliever. He is also a graduate of Loyola Marymount, making him a homegrown player. The pressure on the Dodgers to win makes them a perfect target.

New York Yankees

The Yankees are finally back to being, well, the Yankees that we love to hate. It is a two-horse race with them and the Orioles to win the AL East right now. According to Bleacher Report, the Yankees have five Tier 1 prospects in their system. There's no way the Yankees would give up their top two prospects in Jasson Domínguez or Spencer Jones. Henry Lalane could be out of reach as well, but this guy is a beast the Angels should target.

From Bleacher Report:

“With a towering 6'7", 211-pound frame and three quality pitches, Lalane posted a brilliant 34-to-4 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 21.2 innings in the Florida Complex League last year after spending the first two years of his pro career in the Dominican Summer League. The 19-year-old will be brought along slowly, but he has top-of-the-rotation potential.”

He reminds me of a Madison Bumgarner, maybe a Clayton Kershaw, or a taller and slimmer CC Sabathia. He’s averaging 14 strikeouts per nine innings. He is definitely someone you don’t want to rush through the minors, but you could be looking at the Angels future ace if he pans out. He just turned 20 less than a month ago. He’s only three inches shorter than Randy Johnson.

However, he is originally from the Bronx, so it could be very hard to pull him away from the Yankees just because of that.

These three teams aren’t the only ones who could be interested in players like Ward, Anderson, or even Carlos Estevez. Prospects, obviously, don’t always pan out, however, it is the only way we can see the Angels successfully rebuilding and become the powerhouse they were in the 2000s.