This Angels player should be next on chopping block after Matthew Lugo DFA

Entering June, the Los Angeles Angels are in the dumps (again). At 23-38, they are one of the worst teams in the American League and eight games back of the AL West division-leading Seattle Mariners.

In other words, prepare for the Angels to be sellers at the trade deadline. Even when accounting for young building blocks that have emerged this year, such as José Soriano and Walbert Ureña, the organization is still in desperate need of prospect depth and youthful exuberance.

Does that mean that everything not nailed down should be traded? Not necessarily; Mike Trout remains fiercely loyal to the franchise (for some reason), and it'd probably behoove the front office to hold onto a player like Jo Adell until he can rebuild a bit of value. But the vast majority of players should be made available for the right price.

Unfortunately, some veteran players, even those on cheap rental contracts, have absolutely zero trade appeal. That's looking more and more applicable to Yoán Moncada with each passing week, especially as he lingers on the injured list with a knee issue.

Yoán Moncada has played his way off the Angels roster

Even before going down with his knee injury in mid-May, Moncada wasn't exactly tearing the cover off the ball. The 31-year-old is hitting a paltry .189/.308/.297 (76 wRC+), significantly below the standard he set for himself in Los Angeles last year (117 wRC+).

In conjunction with his usually repugnant defense at the hot corner (-6 outs above average) -- as well as a disastrous 34.6% strikeout rate -- Moncada has been worth -0.3 fWAR this year. Even on a one-year, $4 million contract, it's hard to see another team giving up anything to acquire him, especially now that the Angels have broken the DFA dam by ridding themselves of Matthew Lugo.

These scenarios are obviously different, seeing as Lugo was in the minors when he was dismissed. The Angels let him go to make room for Nick Madrigal on the 40-man roster, a mere formality for someone who didn't seem particularly likely to return to the big leagues with the organization.

Moncada has been a key piece of the team's starting lineup, though the surprisingly adequate play of Madrigal and Donovan Walton may have only hastened his exit out of town. If the Halos hope to receive something in return -- even if it's just salary relief -- their best path of action is to designating Moncada for assignment when he's healthy and hope a desperate club claims him on waivers.

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