The 4 worst Angels trade decisions of the Perry Minasian Era

With the trade deadline approaching, Perry Minasian is operating with both the fate of the Angels and himself in his hands. A poor deadline here could set the Angels back years while also costing Minasian his job in Anaheim. After looking at the best trades of the Minasian Era in Anaheim, now we turn our attention to the other side of the spectrum.

4 worst trade decisions by Minasian in Anaheim

1.) Passing on once-in-a-lifetime offers in 2023

The worst trade decision of Minasian's tenure in Anaheim was not even a trade, it was the decision to pass on offers for Shohei Ohtani in 2023 opting instead to buy (more on that later). The Angels could have received one of the biggest hauls ever for a rental player, as the Padres general manager all but confirmed earlier this year. The Angels have been in purgatory for the large majority of Mike Trout's career, and this prospect package would have been the boost needed to surround him with a genuine contender in the twilight years of his career.

But once again, Minasian and the Angels failed to do so.

2.) What did they think Jorge Soler was?

When the Angels traded Griffin Canning (who was a borderline Cy Young this season before his ruptured Achilles tend) for Jorge Soler, it was an exciting move to begin an off season. The Angels only made one other move of significance, signing Yusei Kikuchi. Canning's ascendence aside, the Soler experiment has been incredibly disappointing. His OPS+ ss at 87, making him a below-average hitter, defender, and base runner. And he has been injured throughout the season. And his contract is likely going to restrict the Angels this off season, unless the Halos attach a prospect to shed his contract (otherwise known as The Billy Eppler Special).

3.) The all-in 2023 deadline

This is likely surprisingly low for a lot of Halo fans. The Angels going all-in during the 2023 season was the wrong choice, but the actual trades made were not the end of the world. If the Angels went on a run instead of playing their worst baseball of the season, the trades for Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez, Randal Grichuk,and C.J Cron would have gone down as a massive success for Minasian. That is just the way baseball plays out sometimes, unfortunately.

4.) The Raisel Iglesias let-down

When the Angels traded Raisel Iglesias to the Braves in 2022, it was for two pitchers who were never going to do much for the Angels. Iglesias had posted a 4.04 ERA that season, but for the Angels to not receive a single promising prospect in return was a massive disappointment. And for Iglesias to post a sub-1.00 ERA for the Braves the rest of the season did not help.

Minasian has shown he can manuever a deadline and make strong moves, especially as a seller. These four instances were moments he failed to do so, but he 2024 deadline may be proof he has grown and learned from past trade mistakes (Jorge Soler aside). With his best trade assets gaining value, the 2025 deadline will determine Minasian's legacy as the general manager of the Angels, good or bad.