The Angels’ rough season handed them a small but potentially useful win over the weekend: because they sit with the worst record, they had top priority on waiver claims and used it to grab right-hander Trevor Martin from the Tampa Bay Rays.
Martin, a third-round pick in the 2022 MLB Draft out of Oklahoma State, began his pro career as a starter before the Rays moved him to the bullpen last season. The shift made sense based on his results in that role, and his numbers in the minors were stronger than what he showed in his brief big league looks.
In six appearances for Tampa Bay this season, Martin posted a 3.97 ERA across 11⅓ Major League innings. He also gave up four home runs in that stretch, something he’ll have to tighten up.
At Triple-A, though, he was much more effective, logging a 3.09 ERA in 27 appearances and 43⅔ innings with 49 strikeouts and 22 walks. In the minors in 2025, he put up a 3.38 ERA.
There’s no promise this turns into anything major for Los Angeles, but the move fits the moment. The Angels’ bullpen has been shaky for most of the year, and a pre-arb arm with three minor league options left is exactly the kind of low-risk pickup that makes sense for a club trying to patch holes wherever it can.
Martin could work his way into the picture for next season’s bullpen, and if he doesn’t, the Angels can move on without much downside. That’s the appeal here: a roster that badly needs help found a cheap way to take a swing.
Interim GM John Mozeliak, who will likely take on a larger role with the organization, has experience building a winner from his time with the St. Louis Cardinals, but this isn't going to be a quick fix. Moves like this are part of the bigger job ahead.
Mozeliak has to keep attacking the roster from every angle - free agency, trades and the waiver wire - if the Angels are going to turn things around. For now, while they still own that unwanted waiver priority, they might as well use it to keep searching for value.
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