The Angels failed at the trade deadline, and now AL West teams are far superior

Perhaps the worst part of the trade deadline for Angels fans was not actually waiting for Perry Minasian to make the splash that seemed promised to them after the team traded for a pair of veteran relievers. The worst part might have been watching the entire American League West make move-after-move as every team in the division was incredibly active at the deadline... except the Angels.

How far behind are the Halos now?

Even if the Angels get the absolute best out of their three new players, they did not nearly do enough to keep up in the AL West. Even the A's, who sold at the deadline, unquestionably set themselves up for greater success in the years to come by acquiring an 18-year-old shortstop prospect who some consider the best in all baseball as a part of the four-player package for Mason Miller and JP Sears.

The Rangers - who faced a similar situation as the Angels - got hot ahead of the deadline and turned into actual buyers. They acquired Merrill Kelly from the Arizona Diamodbacks, turning the best rotation in MLB into an even greater juggernaut. After whichever elite starter exits the game for the Rangers, their exceptional bullpen featuring new arms in Phil Maton and Danny Coulombe. Their newest relievers own ERAs of 2.35 and 1.16 respectively in 2025, and made them close to Wild Card shoe-ins.

The division-leading Houston Astros have gone through their fair share of bad injury luck this season, but they did not let that stop them from strengthening their roster. The team brought back Astros legend Carlos Correa to take over at third base (and got the Twins to pay for a big chunk of his contract in the process), added slugging outfielder Jesus Sanchez from the Marlins, and brought in utility-man Ramon Urias from the Baltimore Orioles. While their pitching remains suspect, they are betting on key players to bounce back from injury soon and will slug their way to another AL West title.

The team the Angels and Rangers are chasing for that third AL Wild Card spot is the Seattle Mariners. Former Halos' general manager Jerry Dipoto did everything he could to make sure his M's hold onto their postseason spot, walking away with the best player available at the deadline in Eugenio Suárez. The third baseman brings his 36 home runs to Seattle, where the lineup is now one of the most powerful in the entire league. Josh Naylor - coming to Seattle from Arizona - will be a regular in their lineup as well and gives them a consistent batting order one through nine.

So while the Angels maybe got a little better, the other teams got much better. And while the Angels may be more focused on 2026 and beyond, the Athletics are waiting for them with a huge head start. The Angels still may defy the odds and make the playoffs, but this season is beginning to look like another lost one in Anaheim that may force some big decisions to be made.

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