5 Angels players who should be moved at trade deadline but won't be

The Los Angeles Angels have an opportunity to right a wrong when July 30 arrives next week. Last year, the Angels foolishly held onto Shohei Ohtani at the trade deadline — knowing full-well they had little chance of retaining of the soon-to-be AL MVP — and it cost them big time.

What would a trade deadline deal for Ohtani have netted the Halos in return? No one really knows, but you can bet that several top prospects would have been part of it. LA failed to improve their roster last summer and all they got in return was the 74th overall pick in this year's draft: Ryan Johnson.

As fate would have it, though, the Angels have another chance to rebuild their beleaguered farm system by selling off a number of assets at the upcoming July 30 deadline. They already started with Carlos Estevez on Saturday. But will they take full advantage? History says no, but the Angels' fanbase should want Perry Minasian and the front office to listen to any and all trade offers that come along over the next week.

These are five Angels players that LA should move at the deadline, but probably won't.

Taylor Ward, LA Angels OF

Will Taylor Ward be part of the next contending Angels' team? The same question needs to asked with every single player on this list, and if the answer is "no," that player should be traded — no questions asked.

Ward is fine player, despite the fact that he's hit a rough patch over the past month. The 30-year-old is under team control through 2026, which is a valuable asset that a number of teams will be looking for in deals.

The offensive upgrades this summer are few and far between. If Ward is made available, he's arguably one of the top two or three bats that would get moved. Ward should be on the trade block, but sadly, most reports suggest that the Angels are unwilling to let him go.

Luis Rengifo, LA Angels 3B

As was the case with Ward, Luis Rengifo will be a free agent before the Angels' enter a window of contention. LA is easily 2-3 years away from competing for a Wild Card spot, let alone an AL West title.

Rengifo doesn't reach free agency until after next season, meaning that he's more than just rental. Dangling players like Carlos Estévez and Luis Garcia is easy — you're going to lose them during the offseason anyway. But parting company with a versatile infielder like Rengifo is going to sting a little bit more.

But that's why you pass that sting along to the team wanting to make the deal. If Renigfo is a hot commodity at the trade deadline, the Halos should have no problem prying a couple top prospects away from another club's farm system. It's all about supply and demand, and the seller's market favors the Angels this year.

Griffin Canning, LA Angels RHP

Not many Angels fans would lose much sleep if Griffin Canning were sent packing at the MLB trade deadline. The right-hander has had an up-and-down season, and a 5.20 ERA doesn't exactly scream ace.

But that's not what opposing GMs are looking for at the deadline. There's bound to be a team or two on the hunt for a middle-of-the-rotation starter who can provide five-plus innings every outing, and that's exactly what Canning provides.

The fact that he's being paid just $2.6 million and has one more year of team control left only adds to the intruigue. A number of small market teams like the Milwaukee Brewers, Kansas City Royals, and Pittsburgh Pirates might be willing to take a flier on Canning while giving up a lower-tier prospect with upside. This is a deal that Minasian and Co. should have already made.

Reid Detmers, LA Angels LHP

Now we're getting somewhere. There's sure to be a group of Angels fans who would lose their minds at the idea of trading of Reid Detmers. Those fans will claim that Detmers is a former first-round pick, he's thrown a no-hitter, and doesn't reach free agency until 2027.

And that's the exact line of thinking Minasian and the Angels' front office should have as well. Detmers, just like Canning, is a cost-controlled starter that would be the dream trade acquisition for a number of small market clubs who think they can reinvent him.

Detmers might be one of the Angels' most valuable trade assets this summer. While his stats, in both the major and minor leagues, are not good at all this season, if an opposing GM believes that his coaching staff can unlock Detmers' potential that saw him go No. 10 overall in the 2020 draft, they're sure to surrender quite the trade package for the southpaw.

Jo Adell, LA Angels OF

If you think the idea of trading Detmers is outlandish, how do you feel about finding a trade partner for Jo Adell? The Angels' outfielder is having his best season yet, and that's the point. Dealing Adell while he's hot makes all the sense in the world.

The Angels' organization has years of data on Adell. He's barely above the Mendoza line for his career and has a 76 OPS+. But just before the All-Star break, Adell caught fire. Over his last seven games, the 25-year-old is hitting .429/.556/.619 with one home run and eight RBI.

But Angels' fans know how this movie ends. Adell will flameout once again, and LA will left wondering "what if." Instead, the Angels' front office should get what they can while the market is starved for an outfield bat.

While Estévez, Garcia, and maybe even Tyler Anderson are dealt at this year's MLB trade deadline, the aforementioned quintet is likely to be in Anaheim when the calendar flips to August. The Angels have a great opportunity, but if last year's trade deadline was any indication, LA will figure out a way to bungle this one too.

More LA Angels News and Rumors