The Los Angeles Angels may be staring at a deadline that could reshape the whole organization, but the biggest question isn’t whether they have trade chips. It’s how far Arte Moreno will let them go.
With the Aug. 3 trade deadline closing in, the Angels are reportedly open for business and have a group of players that should attract plenty of attention. Teams hunting controllable starting pitching and right-handed bats will be watching closely, and Los Angeles has both.
Interim general manager and consultant John Mozeliak took over at the end of June after Perry Minasian’s disastrous tenure, and his job is clear: get the Angels back on track by turning veterans into young talent. That means adding as much upside as possible if the right offers come in.
The names drawing the most buzz are left-hander Reid Detmers, right-hander José Soriano and shortstop Zach Neto. Around the league, those three are viewed as the biggest potential hauls for Los Angeles, and Mozeliak has made it clear the franchise needs to keep an open mind.
That doesn’t mean the Angels are eager to move everyone just for the sake of movement. Detmers and Soriano are controllable through the 2028 season, while Neto is controllable through 2029, which gives the club plenty of runway and takes some pressure off making a deal they don’t love.
“Detmers and Soriano are controllable through the 2028 season, Neto through 2029,” ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez wrote Thursday. “But Mozeliak could be tempted to take advantage of what is expected to be a major sellers' market, especially with the knowledge that the Angels are not a year away -- or two, or potentially even three -- from legitimate contention.”
That’s the tension hanging over everything. Mozeliak appears willing to green light a deal for any of those players if the return is strong enough, but the final call may come down to Moreno. If the owner is serious about improving an organization that has not reached the postseason in over 11 years, then moving at least one of those coveted pitchers and a right-handed bat or two would be the kind of reset the Angels badly need.
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Boston is still looking around the Angels orbit, too, with Zach Neto now on its radar and Washington shortstop CJ Abrams also drawing interest. But Trout looks like a long shot at best this season, thanks to his no-trade clause and the Angels reluctance to move him, which leaves the Red Sox chasing talent while the most eye-catching possibility stays mostly theoretical. [Read more 🡒]