With the Trade Deadline set for Monday, the Angels are staring at a chance to add some badly needed young talent to the system, especially among position players. They’re plainly in sell mode, and interim general manager John Mozeliak will have to sort through which pieces actually make sense to move.
The biggest chips remain the two starting pitchers under team control for two more seasons, Reid Detmers and José Soriano. Shortstop Zach Neto has also come up in trade talk, though the Angels would need to be blown away to even consider it since he isn’t a free agent until 2030.
That backdrop has made the farm system worth watching, and evaluators see it trending upward thanks to a wave of young arms and what was viewed as a strong Draft headlined by first-round pick Jared Grindlinger, who is only 17.
At Triple-A Salt Lake, right-hander George Klassen is making a strong case as the next arm ready to help if the Angels do move one of those starters. Klassen opened the season with a 7.77 ERA over his first seven starts in Triple-A and then struggled through an 11.57 ERA in his first two big league outings in early April.
Since late May, though, he’s been a different pitcher. Over his last 11 appearances, he has put up a 2.67 ERA with 62 strikeouts and 30 walks in 60 2/3 innings.
That stretch included 6 2/3 scoreless, walk-free innings against Triple-A Omaha on Saturday. Ranked as the club’s No. 9 prospect by MLB Pipeline, Klassen still needs to sharpen his command and trim the walks, but the stuff is there, and he’s been getting results even in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League and at altitude in Salt Lake City.
Double-A Rocket City has seen third baseman Jake Munroe keep rolling after his promotion on June 23. Munroe, the club’s No. 18 prospect, came up after showing on-base ability and power at High-A Tri-City, and he hasn’t slowed down.
In 27 games at Double-A, the 22-year-old is hitting .310/.393/.440 with two homers, seven doubles and 16 RBIs. He was a fourth-round pick out of the University of Louisville last year and signed for an underslot $600,000, but he’s continued to hit in the minors.
Munroe isn’t viewed as a big power bat from the right side so much as a gap hitter with good plate discipline, and he’s expected to remain at third base defensively. With the Angels thin at the corner-infield spots, his progress matters.
The highest-profile arm in the system is right-hander Tyler Bremner, the No. 2 overall pick in last year’s Draft. Bremner has been working his way back after fatigue sidelined him from early May to early June, and he just turned in a strong outing against High-A Spokane on Saturday.
He allowed one run over five innings, struck out seven and picked up his first career win. The Angels’ No. 1 prospect and MLB Pipeline’s No. 42 overall prospect has a 4.36 ERA with 58 strikeouts, 17 walks and five homers allowed in 43 1/3 innings this season.
The 22-year-old still looks like a possible rotation piece for next year, but a big league debut this season is now much less likely, especially with Mozeliak running the show.
One of the fastest risers in the system is outfielder Hayden Alvarez at Single-A Rancho Cucamonga. Alvarez has jumped from the club’s No. 10 prospect to No. 2, and the 19-year-old is backing it up with production.
He’s hitting .298/.400/.472 with nine homers, 25 doubles, five triples and 48 RBIs in 90 games. He’s also stolen 43 bases and is seen as a strong defender in center field, with the kind of athleticism that stands out at 6-foot-3.
Like Munroe, he’s a right-handed hitter who isn’t considered a pure slugger, but he brings a good eye and solid contact skills. He’s not expected to debut until 2029, but he has been a revelation after signing for just $685,000 at the start of the 2024 international signing period out of the Dominican Republic.
There’s also some roster juggling ahead behind the plate and on the mound. Rivero is viewed as a bit behind because he has yet to catch nine innings, while Kikuchi is expected to make three rehab starts before rejoining the rotation in mid-August.
Once healthy, Rivero could be optioned. The Angels also have a decision to make on veteran Tyler Heineman and Logan O’Hoppe, and they’re considered more likely to designate Heineman for assignment.
In Other News...
Angels Selloff Just Took A Turn Fans Were Dreading
The Brewers arrive in Anaheim with first place in the National League Central and the Angels sitting near the bottom of the standings, a matchup that only sharpens the focus on what comes next for a club that has already started to reshape its roster. Los Angeles has been operating like a seller for weeks, and the recent move involving Logan O'Hoppe and Chase Silseth only reinforced the sense that the front office is willing to keep listening as the deadline approaches.
Travis d'Arnaud's return from the 60-day injured list adds another wrinkle to the picture, but it does not change the broader direction of the roster. Around the league, the Angels still have names drawing attention, with Reid Detmers, Jose Soriano and Zach Neto among the players most likely to come up in conversations before the deadline, which is exactly why this series against Milwaukee may feel like more than just another midweek set. [Read more 🡒]
Angels Trade Talks Hint Another Familiar Bat Could Be On The Way Out
With the trade deadline drawing closer, the Angels have found themselves back in the middle of one of those conversations that can reshape a roster in a hurry. The Yankees are looking for right-handed help for an offense thinned by injuries, and Los Angeles has at least two bats that fit the profile, which is enough to put the Angels on the phone and keep the speculation moving.
For the Angels, the question is less about whether interest exists and more about how far they are willing to go if the market keeps warming up. A move like this would not just be about adding value elsewhere, it would also signal another familiar name on the roster could be headed out as the deadline pressure starts to build. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Rumor Suddenly Puts An Angels Cornerstone In Play
The Dodgers are still weighing whether to make a splash before the trade deadline, but the possibility of a quieter approach has not stopped their name from surfacing in a few different conversations. One of those has a familiar local twist, with Los Angeles reportedly at least exploring whether an upgrade could come from across town rather than from the usual rental market.
For the Angels, the interest only underscores how valuable their young core has become, even when the fit question is not simple. Zach Neto has supplied strong offense while handling shortstop at a level that has drawn mixed reviews defensively, and Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman acknowledged that the deadline can still produce unexpected opportunities as it gets closer. [Read more 🡒]