Grading this hypothetical Angels trade package for reigning NL MVP Paul Goldschmidt

When looking at the Los Angeles Angels roster, first base is an obvious weakness. The hope was for Jared Walsh to resemble the all-star he was in 2019, but he wasn't anything close and is now in AAA Salt Lake.

With Walsh out of the picture, the Angels have yet to find a permanent first base solution. Hunter Renfroe has played sparingly at that position of late, Brandon Drury has flip-flopped back and forth from first to second, Mike Moustakas has played each of the last three games there, and I'd expect Eduardo Escobar to play there some. With all of that being said, the Angels don't have an established first baseman. Enter Paul Goldschmidt.

A Goldschmidt trade for the Angels would be unlikely for a few reasons, but it's not completely out of the question. Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report wrote up a list of 10 "outrageous trades to shake up the MLB 2023 Trade Deadline." Some of them were flat-out ridiculous, but there was a Goldschmidt to the Angels proposal that does look a little interesting.

This Paul Goldschmidt trade to the LA Angels won't happen, but it's not the worst proposal ever

In this trade, the Angels send Logan O'Hoppe and Victor Mederos to St. Louis for the reigning NL MVP. Value-wise, I wouldn't say that's so bad. O'Hoppe has looked excellent thus far and looks like the catcher of the future, but it's not like they don't have other options. Matt Thaiss has had an unbelievable season, and Edgar Quero is waiting in the wings as well. It could be worse.

Mederos is a decent high-strikeout arm who has struggled in AA Rocket City this season, posting a 5.98 ERA. He's the 18th-ranked prospect in the Angels system according to MLB Pipeline. He falls in a similar category to guys like Coleman Crow and Landon Marceaux who were already traded. The Angels can survive trading him in a deal for the reigning MVP.

I don't think the Angels will want to move O'Hoppe, and don't think St. Louis would prioritize him in a deal for Goldschmidt. They just signed Willson Contreras this past offseason, and their second-best position player prospect is a catcher. While Contreras has had his issues defensively, it's hard to envision them prioritizing a catcher in return for their best player. While Contreras can play the outfield, St. Louis has a ton of those too. Pitching feels like their ideal target so Mederos can help, but he's obviously not a headliner in a Goldschmidt deal.

Goldschmidt and the Angels make some sense if the Cardinals agree to pay down his contract for this season (or Arte Moreno changes his way of doing things) but I don't think either side will want O'Hoppe involved. The value isn't horrible considering Goldschmidt does have another year of control at a very reasonable $22 million, the deal itself just doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me.

Final Grade: C