Los Angeles Angels: Don’t expect any impactful deadline acquisitions

The Los Angeles Angels have consistently been just outside the wild card picture this year, which seemingly should prompt some action out of the front office.

The Los Angeles Angels‘ 2019 season can be defined by one good measuring stick: having a .500 record. The team has consistently floated slightly above and below the .500 threshold and at the time of writing this, are two games over .500 through 100 games.

The best record that the team has had at any point this season is four games over .500, while the worst record is seven games below .500, which occurred in April. As a result, the team has consistently been right on the cusp of the wild card and currently stand 6.5 games out of the second wild-card spot.

That might seem like a lot of ground to cover but one good run could put the Angels within three games of the playoffs.

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In order to make the playoffs, the team is likely going to need to make some sort of acquisition. It isn’t like the Angels have open ground between them and the wild card as three teams — the Tampa Bay Rays, Boston Red Sox and Texas Rangers — stand between them and the second wild card.

Sure, they could go on a run and move closer to the Oakland Athletics, who currently hold the second wild-card spot, but they still have to outlast the other three teams looking to secure that spot. It only takes one good run to get back in the fold, it is going to take extended success to get over the hump.

The biggest thing that the Los Angeles Angels need is starting pitching. New signings Trevor Cahill and Matt Harvey did not work out as Cahill was relegated to the bullpen and Harvey was recently designated for assignment.

All in all, the Angels’ starting rotation has the fifth-highest ERA in the majors and the third-lowest FanGraphs’ WAR.

With the very unfortunate passing of Tyler Skaggs and another injury to Andrew Heaney, the depth of the Angels’ staff is being questioned and is not performing up to the task.

For most teams looking to make the postseason, that would entail making some moves for starting pitching. The Angels realistically could try to add a standout front of the rotation arm, such as Matthew Boyd, and another depth piece to eat innings that is on an expiring deal.

The Angels have the finances for it and play in a massive market, even if it is not truly LA. Heck, the Angels rank fifth in total attendance this year, it is not like the team is a small-market team.

It still won’t happen. The Los Angeles Angels front office does not seem too concerned with making the postseason this year and instead seemingly want to stay under a self-imposed budget, despite having room under the luxury tax.

It is perfectly OK to not want to trade prospects, especially if the front office still does not like the team’s chances of making a deep run. The only worry is that the pitching prospects are not necessarily elite and most of the higher-touted arms are in the low levels of the minors.

But it still seems like the front office is sticking to their guns, which is fine, you cannot fault the team for using that logic. It is just clear that winning this year is not too big of a concern considering the team could have brought in the perfect solution in Dallas Keuchel for one year, who instead signed with the Atlanta Braves.

Keuchel hasn’t been elite but he has been a consistent arm with a 3.58 ERA thus far this year. Having that kind of veteran, front of the rotation arm, would be ideal for the Angels.

Regardless, that ship has already sailed but it did show us that the Los Angeles Angels won’t be making any deadline moves, so if you are expecting that, do not get your hopes up.