8 Angels players most likely to get traded and why

The Los Angeles Angels have a lot of work to do as they look for a better year in 2024. The first thing they have to do is pick a direction. If they're able to keep Shohei Ohtani, they will obviously try their hardest within Arte Moreno's limits to win in 2024 and beyond. If they can't entering a rebuild under Arte Moreno isn't something that's been done before, but that can always change.

While a lot of the work the Angels will do will be in free agency, it's very possible they look to make moves via trade. They made a couple of big trades last offseason landing Gio Urshela and Hunter Renfroe. They could look to trade some of their MLB talent to try and either acquire prospects, or acquire players who might not come with the price tags free agents come with.

These eight players have a real shot at being moved if the Angels do consider making trades. The order of this ranking is from least valuable in terms of what you'd get in a trade to most. Keep in mind players with one year remaining on a contract would net substantially less in a trade than someone with multiple years of control.

8) Jose Suarez

Jose Suarez is in an awkward spot as we head to the 2023 offseason. He began the year pencilled in as the team's clear fifth starter thanks to an excellent second half to finish the 2022 campaign. He was then so bad in his first six starts to the point where fans wanted him gone by any means necessary and booed him off the mound on a couple of occasions.

After those six starts, Suarez went on to miss most of the year with a shoulder injury. He'd return in September and pitch in a relief role. He looked better, but he couldn't have really pitched any worse than he did as a starter.

Suarez is arbitration-eligible for the first time this offseason, and whether the Angels will keep him around or non-tender him remains a huge mystery. If they keep him around, I wouldn't be shocked if they consider moving him in a trade. He's just not a fit here anymore.

The biggest reason why Suarez being moved makes a lot of sense is he's out of options. The Angels cannot send him down without him being passed through waivers, and taking his age and recent history into account, he'd likely be claimed. Getting something instead of nothing is always better.

If Suarez were to hang around, he'd likely just stick in a long relief role. They've already got guys like Kenny Rosenberg and Davis Daniel who have options and are arguably better for that role. If the Angels can get anything for him they should grab it and run.

7) Jo Adell

Jo Adell is a player the Angels really need to figure out what they want to do with. He has yet to prove himself to be a MLB-caliber player, but now the Angels must keep him up in the majors if they want to hold onto him. The reasoning is very simple as to why they have to do that. He's out of options. If they decide to send him down, he'd have to pass through waivers. If he were to be waived, he'd be claimed instantly.

The Angels have a couple of different ways they can go about dealing with the Adell situation. First, they can keep him as a fourth outfielder. Right now, the Angels have an outfield that consists of Taylor Ward, Mike Trout, and Mickey Moniak. Playing Adell against lefties in place of Moniak and starting him if there's an injury or when a player needs an offday would make some sense. However, he'd be limited to just a start or two per week when everyone is healthy.

The Angels can also decide to trade one of their outfielders to open up a full-time path for Adell to play every day. Adell hasn't earned this opportunity, but limiting reps for young players isn't always the best idea.

Lastly, the Angels can consider trading Adell. His value isn't super high due to his struggles with the Angels, but he should still be able to net the Angels something decent. He comes with many years of control and obviously has the tools to be an elite player in this league. He was a first round pick and considered to be a top prospect for a reason. An Adell trade would be tough to see go through, but if the Angels got a player that can help them win more in 2024 it'd make sense.

6) Carlos Estevez

The Carlos Estevez signing looked like an absolute bargain in the first half when he was among the best closers in the game. It looked a whole lot worse in the second half when he really struggled. Questions are being raised about whether Estevez should open the 2024 season as the Angels closer after what transpired down the stretch.

Estevez would only realistically be moved if the team was entering some sort of a rebuild. If they're trying to compete, it'd make no sense to part with a key piece of the bullpen.

As bad as his second half was, Estevez was good enough in the first half to where teams would be interested in acquiring him if he did become available. He has one year remaining on last year's deal that he signed worth $6.75 million. For a guy who'd be a fit in most bullpens in the late innings, that's a pretty good deal.

Estevez is just 30 years old and has the stuff to be a solid late-game arm. If he gets traded and is put in the hands of a better pitching coach I wouldn't be shocked to see him do well, too.

5) Luis Rengifo

Luis Rengifo's value is hard to gauge because he was so bad in the first half and teams just couldn't get him out in the second half. Rengifo is a switch-hitter who can play everywhere who can hit for power and run the bases fairly well. He's had two great second halves in a row, but has yet to put together a full successful season in the majors.

Rengifo is yet another player the Angels have to make a decision on because they don't have a solidified place to play him right now. He's primarily an infielder, but the Angels have Anthony Rendon at third, Zach Neto at short, and Brandon Drury at second base right now. Sure, Rendon gets hurt a lot, but assuming he's healthy on Opening Day he'll be at the hot corner. Like Adell, Rengifo would slot in behind the likes of Ward, Trout, and Moniak as well.

Rengifo would make some sense as an Ohtani replacement if Shohei leaves, but the Angels could also look to bring in a player in free agency. Rengifo is expendable if the right offer comes along, but due to his inconsistent track record I'm not sure that offer will ever surface.

If he is traded, the Angels should get a decent return for him because he's under control through the 2025 season, is projected to make just $5 million in 2024, and is only 26 years old. His versatility in the field and ability to switch-hit also make him more valuable. Those things also make him valuable to the Angels as well, so it'll be interesting to see what they do with him.

4) Brandon Drury

If the Angels decide to enter rebuild mode, Brandon Drury would theoretically be the first player to go. He's coming off back-to-back fantastic seasons offensively, and would instantly become the best second baseman on the market with free agency being as weak as it is.

The reason Drury is only fourth on this list and why the Angels would be so eager to move him if they did enter a rebuild is because he only has one year remaining on the two-year deal he signed with the Angels last offseason. Drury is set to make just $8.5 million in 2024 which is very team-friendly for a guy who could win his second consecutive Silver Slugger award and just hit the second-most home runs for primary second basemen in the AL behind just Marcus Semien. This was the case even with him missing a month due to injury.

While Drury was a steady player all year at second base for the Angels, he's played both corner infield and outfield positions in his career as well, adding an extra level of versatility that should only help his value even more.

The chances of Drury being traded depend solely on the direction of the team. If they're trying to win, they won't move him. Considering Arte Moreno is the owner, that's the likely outcome. However, if they do enter some sort of rebuild or retool, he will certainly be moved for either a prospect or a pitcher.

3) Taylor Ward

Taylor Ward had a lot to prove in 2023 coming off an all-star caliber 2022. He had an inconsistent year when healthy at the plate, but was playing at an elite level for over one month before being drilled in the face with an Alek Manoah fastball ending his season.

Ward figures to begin the 2024 season as the Angels Opening Day left fielder if he's here, but this could change if the Angels decide they want Jo Adell to play every day. If Adell slots in the outfield regularly, Ward is by far the most expendable outfielder over Mickey Moniak who has tons of team control and Mike Trout who is very hard to move.

The Angels could explore a couple of different avenues in a Ward deal. They could look to add a pitcher which this team desperately needs. They could also look to add prospects which this organization also needs.

Ward is projected to make $5.4 million in his second year of arbitration eligibility and is under team control through 2026. Three full years of team control is extremely valuable in a trade, and that's why he'd slot in ahead of Brandon Drury who might be a better player, but only has one year.

The Angels would move Ward if they either want to play Adell, or want to sign an outfielder (Cody Bellinger?) If he does become available, I'd expect a lot of teams to express interest.

1) Patrick Sandoval

Patrick Sandoval is easily the most valuable player the Angels would consider trading this offseason. He's coming off a down year, but is still just 27 years old and is under team control through the 2026 season. That's three years of control for a solidified mid-rotation arm who has shown he has potential to be more than that.

Sandoval's 2022 season saw him pitch at an all-star level. He had a sub-3.00 ERA and looked like he was on his way to solidifying himself as a frontline rotation starter. Unfortunately, he regressed in 2023 to the point where many Angels fans are frustrated enough to want the team to move on from him.

Moving on from a guy who very clearly has an all-star ceiling with three more years of team control is not something I'd want to do especially coming off a down year, but if the Angels get an offer they can't refuse that's another story.

Sandoval's inability to pitch through virtually any adversity and him constantly struggling with high pitch counts are certainly frustrating traits, but I'd love to see him with a new pitching coach following Matt Wise's departure.

Getting quality starters is hard enough, and getting younger ones with control and the ceiling Sandoval has is even harder. He'd have a ton of value if the Angels ever did put him on the trade market.