Angels: Three Trade Rumors to Take Note of this Season

Ricky Nolasco

Ricky Nolasco seems pretty out of place in the Angels starting rotation. Pitching alongside mostly young, promising arms, Nolasco seemingly doesn’t fit the mold that the Angels are trying to create. It is nothing against Nolasco, but his services may just be blocking that of younger talents.

As of now, the 34-year-old is serving as the third pitcher in the rotation, and quite frankly he is not putting together good numbers for his role. Last season, Nolasco pitched to an 8-14 record with a 4.42 earned run average.

Although the Angels did just trade for him last season, they could flip on their investments and get pitching where pitching is needed. Nolasco’s services likely are not valued too high at the moment, so the bullpen will likely be the Angels area of focus.

First off, Nolasco seems more fit in the National League, so that rules out fifteen destinations. Nolasco’s best season, 2013, came as a member of the Miami Marlins and Los Angeles Dodgers. Neither of those teams necessarily need Nolasco’s services, which narrows us down to thirteen option.

Then, we need to take out rebuilding teams, as they likely don’t want Nolasco’s age. That eliminates the Phillies, Padres, Braves, Reds, and Brewers. One team that is left seems to be a really viable partner, and that is the Colorado Rockies.

The Rockies are extremely thin on starting pitching, and they likely would want a veteran presence like Nolasco. To get this deal done, the Angels should ask for a bullpen arm in the likes of Greg Holland, Adam Ottavino, or Mike Dunn. Add in some cash or a player to be named later, and this seems like a done deal.