Los Angeles Angels can make a trade for Jacob DeGrom

The Los Angeles Angels are close to falling out of playoff contention with a 43-42 record after starting the season 13-3. Thus, LA may need to trade for pieces.

The Los Angeles Angels started the season very promising. The newfound powerhouse core around Mike Trout seemed to be working. Offensively, the Angels were scoring runs in bunches and the pitching staff was doing enough to win ball games.

Shohei Ohtani jumped out of the gate as a superstar and emerged as the early favorite to win the American League Rookie of the Year award. The young pitching staff was finally piecing it together after years of never being healthy. Justin Upton and the new faces of the offense were giving the Angels exactly what they paid for.

Then the injuries started piling up. The biggest being Ohtani, who suffered a UCL strain, and may eventually need Tommy John Surgery. New third baseman Zack Cozart is out until the end of the season, Andrelton Simmons missed time. Tyler Skaggs, who has been the Angels’ best pitcher, is currently on the DL.

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Now, a team that was sitting pretty to be at least a wild-card team is 12.5 games out of their division and 11.0 games out of the second wild-card spot.

Thus, the Angels may be inclined to make a move at the deadline and there is no bigger move to make than trading for New York Mets starting pitcher, Jacob DeGrom.

A desolate Angels’ farm system three years ago would not be able to make this move. However, now, the Angels possess one of the more promising farm systems in baseball and can send a prospect package that would be too hard to refuse for New York.

The Angels can send the Mets Jaime Barria, who has been a young standout with a 3.40 ERA this season to provide an immediate plug into the starting rotation. With Barria, the Angels can package top prospect, outfielder Jo Adell (MLB Pipeline rank: 36), second baseman Jahmai Jones (MLB Pipeline rank: 78) and right-handed pitcher Griffin Canning (MLB Pipeline rank: 91).

Los Angeles is no stranger to sending prospects for established talent and would be sending three of the organization’s five top-100 prospects. Shortstop Kevin Maitan and outfielder Brandon Marsh would remain and give the Angels some relief.

For the Mets, they get a young promising pitcher in Barria as well as a prospect in Canning that would be ready to debut as early as next year. Adell and Jones are both farther away, as they are both in Advanced-A Inland Empire, but are extremely promising.

Adell is hitting .313 with 11 home runs, 26 RBIs and seven stolen bases in 38 games with the 66ers. Jones has struggled more with just a .238 average, however, he also has 13 stolen bases and excels in all areas of the game to be a decent five-tool player at least in the big leagues.

The Los Angeles Angels should be pressed to add pieces around Trout to keep him from ever walking away. DeGrom addressed the starting rotation now as well as giving the Angels control through the 2020 season.

Next: No playoffs means no MVP for Mike Trout

Overall, trading for Jacob DeGrom would be a huge boost for the Los Angeles Angels and would give the team a nice piece to race back into contention this year and stay in contention for years to come.

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