Here are the top trade deadline landing spots for Angels' Luis Rengifo

The trade deadline is less than a month away and the Los Angeles Angels appear to be one of the few teams already firmly in the position of selling. As much as it hurts to admit, the Angels are well below .500 and have neither the current personnel (even when Mike Trout returns) to turn things around, nor do they have the prospect capital in the minor leagues to go out and get the talent they would need to make a difference.

Given that, players who are pending free agents like Brandon Drury, Miguel Sano, Kevin Pillar, Carlos Estevez, and others are mortal locks to at least get shopped around by the team. However, the early rumblings are that guys with team control beyond 2024 like Tyler Anderson and Taylor Ward are also popular in early trade discussions. If the Angels are willing to trade those kinds of guys, then Luis Rengifo may also be available.

Not only has Rengifo been playing his brains out in the first half, but he has one year of team control after 2024 which could make him very attractive as a versatile infielder with offensive upside. It helps that he isn't making a lot of money, too, (just $4.4 million in 2024) for contenders in need of a boost to their lineup.

As to where Rengifo could end up after the trade deadline if he is moved, that is much trickier to answer, as any number of teams could use a guy like him. Here is a look at some of the more likely options.

Dodgers could be the best (and most painful) fit for an Angels/Rengifo trade

As good as the Dodgers are, they are still a flawed roster, especially with Mookie Betts out. Their middle infield situation has been a mess for a couple years now and Betts' injury has only made things worse. That is one reason why Bleacher Report put together a mock trade package that included Rengifo headed to the Dodgers.

The fit in a vacuum makes sense, but the Angels may not want the optics of such a cross-town move. The team already saw Shohei Ohtani sign with the Dodgers last offseason, and while Rengifo (or anyone else for that matter) wouldn't register the same way with Angels fans, finding another suitor may be the better bet.

Luis Rengifo could help the Yankees solve their Gleyber Torres problem

The Yankees' infield situation has been similarly messy for a while now as Gleyber Torres has vacillated between "meh" and "doesn't belong in the big leagues" and DJ LeMahieu has seen injuries sap him of his previous ability. With no immediate and healthy answers in the minor leagues (although Caleb Durbin is a sneaky good option for them once he returns from injury), The Athletic's Chris Kirschner identified Rengifo as a possible solution.

Trades with the Yankees are always tricky as fans generally hate anything that benefits New York, and Arte Moreno may not love the idea of giving the high-profile Bombers a boost. However, the Yankees' farm system has pitchers that could help the Angels in the long run that the organization desperately needs.

Trading Rengifo to the Braves, Mariners, and Twins feels like longshot options

MLB insider Mark Feinsand recently put together a look at some of the more likely players to get moved at the deadline, and Rengifo's name is on that list. Feinsand isn't the type to put a guy's name out there lightly, so that means something. However, his list of potential fits for a Rengifo trade feel a bit more speculative.

The Braves are certainly in contention right now and are going to be looking for roster upgrades, but most of their infield is set in stone and they haven't shown much inclination to date to replace Orlando Arcia and his defense at shortstop. The Mariners are definitely looking for bats and have the assets to make a deal work, but an in-division trade for Rengifo could be problematic for both sides.

The Twins are an intriguing destination that could make the move as a way to plan for 2025, but them betting on some combination of Edouard Julien, Royce Lewis, and Brooks Lee feels like the smarter play.

So there you have it. Just don't be surprised if other dark horse options emerge in the coming weeks.

More LA Angels News from Halo Hangout