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5 dream pitchers the Angels could target in the final hours of the MLB trade deadline

Perry Minasian will look to make dreams come true with another big trade deadline move

By Zachary Rotman |
Washington Nationals v New York Mets
Washington Nationals v New York Mets / Rich Schultz/GettyImages
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MLB Trade Deadline day is here, and the Los Angeles Angels should be very active. At 56-51 the Halos are just three games back of the final Wild Card spot in the AL and have even cut the AL West lead to 4.5 games.

The Angels have already traded two of their best prospects in Edgar Quero and Ky Bush and have moved a bunch of other pitching prospects to help them land players like Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez, C.J. Cron, Randal Grichuk, Mike Moustakas, and Eduardo Escobar.

Despite some struggles offensively of late, pitching is the clear need for this Angels team on deadline day. Relief pitching should be priority one for Perry Minasian, and adding another starter wouldn't hurt either.

Jon Morosi of MLB Network said as of last night the Halos were looking to add at least one pitcher. It's unclear whether he meant starting pitching or relief pitching, but there're some intriguing targets for both. Acquiring any of these five is probably unrealistic, but would be awesome.

1) LA Angels dream trade deadline pitching target: Justin Verlander

All eyes are on the New York Mets and what they're going to do at the trade deadline. They've already moved expiring contracts like David Robertson and Mark Canha and are expected to move Tommy Pham as well. They also shocked the baseball world when they traded Max Scherzer to the Rangers in a move that will likely impact the Angels chances in a negative way.

Trading Scherzer away has led many to believe Justin Verlander is next up on the block. Verlander is a guy the Mets have been willing to field offers for, and if they're blown away, it's very possible he could be wearing a new jersey tomorrow. The Dodgers and Astros have been mentioned as frontrunners, but could the Angels be one of these mystery teams?

The Angels don't necessarily need a starting pitcher after acquiring Lucas Giolito, but you can never go wrong adding a future Hall of Famer to help lead your staff. After a rough start to his season, Verlander has a 1.49 ERA in his last seven starts. He might be older, but he's still one of the best pitchers in baseball.

The Mets willingness to eat a large portion of Verlander's contract would keep the Angels in the hunt to acquire him, but the Halos likely don't have the assets necessary. However, the GM of the Mets just so happens to be Billy Eppler who has his fingerprints over a good chunk of the Angels organization. If the Halos offer him a slew of players he likes would he be interested? Likely no, but one can dream.

2) LA Angels dream trade deadline pitching target: David Bednar

Pirates closer David Bednar is available, although the price to get him is likely outrageous. With the Angels having traded two of their top prospects already, it's unlikely they have what it takes to land Bednar without milking virtually every top asset they have left, but he might be worth it.

The 28-year-old is one of the best closers in all of baseball and is under team control through the 2026 season. That alone makes his price outrageous, but again, it makes him much more valuable.

In 41 appearances Bednar has a 1.27 ERA in 42.2 innings pitched. He has a 31.2% K-rate while walking batters at a 7.5% clip. He's given up just one home run this season, and has converted 21 saves in 22 opportunities.

Can you imagine a 6-7-8-9 of Reynaldo Lopez, Matt Moore, Carlos Estevez, and David Bednar? It would be one of, if not the best late-game tandem in the game.

Again, the Pirates asking price is likely absurd and I'd be shocked if Bednar is moved at all. If he is moved, and the Angels get him, that'd be a dream scenario.

3) LA Angels dream trade deadline pitching target: Brooks Raley

Another Mets player who appears to be very available is Brooks Raley. Like Verlander, Raley isn't a guy they necessarily have to move since he has a 2024 club option on his deal, but if the Angels can figure out a way to land him, Perry Minasian absolutely should do it.

Raley, like many other pitchers, broke out last season with the Rays and was sold high to the Mets in the offseason. Raley has remained dominant as a member of the Mets, posting a 2.37 ERA in 46 appearances and 38 innings pitched.

The southpaw's walks are up, but other than that, he's been extremely effective. He missed a couple of weeks on the IL in late April but since returning in mid-May, he's been nothing short of dominant. A 1.35 ERA in 32 appearances, recording 11 holds and three saves while only blowing one. He'd be an awesome second lefty to add with Matt Moore while providing the additional year of control that Moore doesn't have.

Perry Minasian and Billy Eppler have traded before when the Halos acquired Escobar, and it wouldn't be shocking to see Minasian try and pry this left-hander out of Queens.

4) LA Angels dream trade deadline pitching target: Jason Foley

The Tigers have a bunch of relievers the Angels should consider targeting. Chasen Shreve and Jose Cisnero would be solid rentals, while Alex Lange and Tyler Holton would be excellent long-term pieces to acquire. One player not mentioned there, but that has been mentioned in general rumors, is Jason Foley.

The 27-year-old was solid in 60 games for Detroit last season, but has really broken out this season. He has a 2.33 ERA in 46 appearances and 46.1 innings pitched, recording 18 holds and four saves while only blowing two.

Foley has been excellent at inheriting runners, stranding them at a 76% rate, while proving to be effective against both righties and lefties.

He's a guy who induces a ton of ground balls, and has done a nice job limiting walks. The best part about Foley is he keeps the ball in the yard at an elite level. He has yet to allow a single longball this season.

Foley is under team control for another five years so the likelihood of him actually being moved is slim, but he'd be a great get for the present and the future if the Angels were to pull this off.

5) LA Angels dream trade deadline pitching target: Kyle Finnegan

The Nationals have two very intriguing controllable relievers. Hunter Harvey is a hard thrower who has really come into his own this season, but has had some injury problems in the past and is currently on the IL with an elbow strain. The injuries are why he's not my Nationals dream target, and Kyle Finnegan is instead.

Finnegan has been the one constant bright spot the last couple of years in what's been an abysmal Nationals bullpen. He's taken over as the primary closer for Washington this year and has 15 holds while also racking up eight holds. His seven blown saves aren't ideal, but Finnegan would be used more in a middle relief role for the Angels anyway.

The hard-throwing right-hander has an ERA of 3.00 this season in 43 appearances and 45 appearances. His ERA is very inflated thanks to one outing in which he allowed five runs while recording one out against the Rays. That outing was just his third appearance of the season. Since then, he's been impeccable.

Finnegan has a 1.69 ERA in 40 appearances for Washington since that blow-up, and has been one guy they can really trust to finish a game out. The 31-year-old is under team control through the 2025 season, so he'd be an Angel for the next couple of years additionally. This is Washington's chance to sell high, and I think he's the most likely guy on this list to be moved maybe outside of Justin Verlander.

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