What Will Angels Do at Trade Deadline? National Outlet Makes Prediction

Sam Garcia | Jul 23, 2024

Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports

The MLB trade deadline is one week away, so the Angels need to make a decision on if and who they will trade.

"The Angels haven't made the postseason since 2014 and that won't change this year. They hate selling, but this has to be the year they add to a farm system that is regarded as the worst in MLB," wrote Noah Camras of Newsweek.com.

Several news outlets, including MLB.com, have ranked the Angels' farm system as the worst in the Major Leagues. The Halos are the only MLB team without a top-100 prospect in their farm system, according to USA Today, which also ranked the Angels' farm system last in June.

Despite having a weak farm system, the Angels do have a handful of position players and pitchers that have surfaced as popular trade targets. These include Luis Rengifo, Taylor Ward, Tyler Anderson, and Carlos Estévez.

Rengifo offers versatility as a utility player, the best hitting performance of his MLB career, and one remaining year of team control. The Boston Red Sox have reportedly had their eye on Rengifo.

Ward is an outfielder under team control until 2026, which suggests he could be traded for a high asking price. He is slashing .230/.314/.399 along with a .713 OPS, 82 hits, 142 total bases, 45 RBIs, and 14 home runs this season. Multiple teams have expressed interest in Ward, including the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Anderson is a two-time MLB All-Star starting pitcher. The southpaw posts a 2.91 ERA, which is the second-lowest of his career since his 2.57 ERA in 2022. Anderson also has an 8-8 record, tallying 89 strikeouts and 48 walks in 20 starts this season.

Estévez was selected as the National League Reliever of the Month in June. He allowed no runs across 10 games pitched in June, securing the victory for the Angels in all 10 appearances. Overall this season, the 2023 AL All-Star posts a career-best 2.45 ERA with 32 strikeouts, five walks, nine earned runs, and 19 saves.

The Angels could make significant profit off this quartet, which may help improve their poorly rated farm system.