LA Angels have power to control MLB trade deadline

The Los Angeles Angels have a chance to change their future for the better. And could change the narrative of their future, this year.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic appeared on Foul Territory on Monday afternoon and said he believes they are a team, “That can control the trade deadline.”

“As a seller, the Angels have any number of attractive pieces. The biggest two would be Jose Soriano and Reid Detmers,” Rosenthal said. “Both are under club control for two more years after this one.”

The Angels have been one of the most unpredictable teams during the trade deadline, as they have consistently been in a spot where they should sell but notably do not. Famously doing so when they didn’t trade Shohei Ohtani during the 2023 MLB Trade Deadline.

If the Angels were to consider a year to be sellers, it would be now. On Friday, they fired general manager Perry Minasian and placed John Mozeliak as interim general manager, who will also oversee day-to-day baseball operations.

On Saturday, Mozeliak said the Angels need to change the way they operate from the Major League Roster, all the way down to the Minor League rosters. If what Mozeliak preaches is true, the Angels should be sellers at this year’s deadline as they enter Monday last in the American League West with a 36-49 record.

Both Soriano and Detmers sit in the top 10 in the American League for strikeouts. Bob Nightengale of USA Today recently reported that Detmers could bring in a Tarik Skubal like haul if he is moved.

Through the first two months of the season, Soriano was among baseball’s top pitchers and was starting to place himself as an early CY Young candidate, having a 2.65 ERA.

Rosenthal also went on to state that Zach Neto might not be a name worth trading this year, as the desire for a shortstop isn’t as desirable this year and also added that he’s under club control for three more years.

He went on to list Jo Adell as another piece that could be moved, as he has one more year left of control after this season. He also added Brent Suter and Adam Frazier as other potential trade candidates.

“These are attractive pieces,” Rosenthal said. “The Angels, under [Arte] Moreno, have resisted this kind of thing.”

Rosenthal also added that if the Angels decide not to sell at the deadline, then they need to build around what they have, as their roster is headlined by Mike Trout and has featured a young and promising pitcher in Walbert Ureña, who has a 3.14 ERA and 69 strikeouts in 13 starts.