Los Angeles Angels are one deadline piece away from World Series contention
By Jason Reed
The Los Angeles Angels are playing extremely well after a busy offseason. Now, the Halos look to be just one trade acquisition away from World Series contention.
It is safe to say that the Los Angeles Angels are surprising a lot of people thus far this season. Even after acquiring several new pieces headlined by Shohei Ohtani, there were still some questions heading into 2018.
Was the pitching staff going to stay healthy? Could a young pitching staff put the team in a spot to win? Will the added offensive pieces actually work out, or was it a risk that ultimately would not pan out? Can Shohei Ohtani juggle the MLB workload of both a pitcher and hitter?
All of those questions have had favorable answers. Perhaps the most concerning one is with Shohei Ohtani, who has already showcased some injury bugs and has followed up a hot start on the mound to be decent. He is doing the most he can with limited plate appearances.
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However, the rest of the team is playing fantastic. Mike Trout is being Mike Trout, Justin Upton is hitting home runs at a great pace and the Angels are second in all of baseball in hitting WAR — per FanGraphs.
The pitching staff has done its part as well. While it has not been great, it has done enough to consistently put the team in positions to win. A collective ERA of 3.96 is good enough for 12th in the MLB and a 76.7 left-on-base percentage is fifth-best in baseball. They may get hit around, but they also get out of jams.
All of these factors are why the Los Angeles Angels are first in the American League West with a 23-15 record. Realistically, an AL Wild Card spot may be the more likely outcome for the Angels, but they have proven to be a playoff team nonetheless.
The one downfall of the Angels is the team’s success against other formidable opponents. The Angels were swept by both the Red Sox and Yankees. However, the team is a combined 5-3 against the Astros, Indians and Twins; all playoff teams from last season.
It is those two sweeps against the Red Sox and Yankees that lead to some concern and ultimately makes the Angels more likely for the Wild Card. However, the team can change that fortune with a deadline move.
For the first time in a while, the Angels actually have a fairly decent farm system. And while the team should avoid trading all of that away, the Angels can capitalize on an expiring contract and hopefully have to pay a smaller fee.
At the moment, there are no real targets on that route. Guys like Bryce Harper and Manny Machado are on expiring deals but it would take a massive trade package to land those guys. Realistically, the only good pieces that may be available are Jed Lowrie and Brian Dozier. But the Angels have Ian Kinsler.
Therefore, the Angels may need to dip into the farm system a bit and trade some young prospects for a guy that the team can get multiple years from. Michael Fulmer in Detroit could be a possibility, with the Angels likely needing to give up a prospect like Jahmai Jones in the process.
The most likely trade would be for starting pitching and would have to come from a team that is ready to send pieces away. Detroit is the best candidate for that and has one of the best potential trade chips available.
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The Los Angeles Angels may actually be content with what the team has and ride it out until the wheels fall off. However, to contend with the powerhouses of the AL East, making a deadline deal should already be talked about.