Ranking the Angels 5 best trades of the Perry Minasian Era

With a week until the trade deadline, the Angels are in what appears to be an obvious sell position. Four games under .500 and a few more out of the Wild Card, only a team ran by Arte Moreno would convince themselves they should be buyers at the deadline. But unless they are trading for players who can help in the years tocome, With that in mind, let’s take a look at Perry Minasian’s five best trades he’s made as Halos’ general manager

The 5 Best Deals of the Minasian Era

1.) Perry nabs two top pitching prospects at deadline

In 2024, Minasian was able to make out like a bandit at the trade deadline. He was able to trade reliever Carlos Estevez - a rental - for pitching prospects George Klassen and Samuel Aldegheri from the Philadelphia Phillies. Klassen just recently showed out in the Futures Games during All Star Week, and Aldegheri has seen mixed results in the big leagues but overall has been promising. Considering the lack of leverage the Halos had, they were able to add to a dry farm system and add what are arguably the two best arms in their system alongside Caden Dana.

2.) Another great deal in 2024

While the initial reaction to the 2024 deadline by Minasian may have been harsh, time has proven the general manager correct. In addition to the aforementioned Estevez deal, the Angels also acquired outfielder Matthew Lugo, first baseman Niko Kavadas, right-handed pitcher Ryan Zeferjahn, and right-handed pitcher Yeferson Vargas in return for Luis Garcia being sent to the Boston Red Sox. Zeferjahn has been a mainstay in the Angels' bullpen since the deal, Lugo impressed during a brief MLB stint earlier this season, and Vargas and Kavadas are bothing developing well in the minors. All look to be contributors at the big league level, which is about as much as you can hope for when trading a reliever with a 3.71 ERA who was set to be a free agent months later.

3.) Taking a chance on a former No. 1 overall pick

In 2022, the Angels were well out of playoff contention and free agent rental Noah Syndergaard had largely underwhelmed during his time in Anaheim. He was an obvious and somewhat undesirable arm, but there was the likelihod a contender would take a chance on the former Mets' ace. The Phillies wound up being that team, trading former top overall pick Mickey Moniak to Anaheim in return. While Moniak's time in Anaheim ended too early, the theory behind the trade was genius and largely panned out. Moniak was solid for the Angels and became a fan favorite, making this trade a huge success given the sunk cost of Syndergaard.

4.) Breaking up the young outfield

At the time, trading Brandon Marsh for Logan O'Hoppe was a not a beloved move by the Halo faithful. Marsh was one of the few bright spots in 2022, playing great defense in center field and consistently improving at the plate. He has found success in Philadelphia, but is seemingly on his way to being a platoon-type player given his struggles against left-handed pitching.

O'Hoppe has proven himself as one of the key cogs of the Angels' young core and one of the leaders on the team. While he has had an up-and-down 2025, O'Hoppe has shown a genuine willingness to adapt and change to improve himself as a catcher. He has tinkered with his catching stance throughout the season, hoping to become better than the average defensive catcher he currently grades out as. At the plate, despite some slumping this year, he is a 20+ home run threat year in, year out and runs the bases well especially given his position.

5.) A hard goodbye in 2021

A lot of Angels fans had a special connection to Andrew Heaney. He and Tyler Skaggs were best friends and mainstays in the Halos' rotation for years alongside each other. After Skaggs' death, Heaney was a leader for not just the players but the entire fanbase. Trading him in 2021 was a hard move, but at the time, a good one.

The Angels received pitchers Janson Junk and Elvis Peguero for Heaney, as both were impressing heavily in the minors at the time. While Junk is pitching for the Marlins now (and well, at that), and Peguero is in Milwuakee, the trade itself was a rock solid move during a tough season in Anaheim where the team, arguably, should have traded even more.