Top 10 Trade Deadline Deals of 2026

 Well...a lot happened this time around. 

Following the brass today was HARROWING. So much was happening, and so quickly. Almost evenly displaced as well, like there'd be a move, I'd have time to make a custom of them, and the next two moves would be up. And I think it was all a well rounded bunch. Last year the emphasis was on relief pitching, this year it was a little of everything. Some teams needed starting help, some teams needed outfield bats, some teams needed catchers [and some needed catchers and somehow forgot to deal for any]. A lot went down, even to the point where, after the BIG MOVE happened a few days ago, I was worried nothing would top it. And...I mean, we'll get to it, but there certainly was competition. 

I have a lot of other posts planned for deadline week, I have a 'best of the rest' one planned, I have a 'the ones I didn't understand' post in a bit. But we've got to do the top 10. This kept sliding by the whole day and got to the point where it is now. One spot stayed the same. And...yeah.

Anyway, we start with one I really didn't think was gonna happen this deadline:

#10: Heliot Ramos to the Yankees, 2 prospects to the Giants

So, the Yankees went into the deadline looking for bullpen work and a catching upgrade, and got neither. So Heliot Ramos, a very savvy lineup addition, makes it to the end of this list without going forward. Let me just stress that I love this move, Ramos is young, controllable, and powerful. He's been hurt for a bit but he's hitting .264 with 9 homers and 34 RBIs in 74 games. He's a ferocious hitter with a huge upside and a lot to accomplish, and...he gets to hit in Yankee stadium. The tricky part is it crowds the outfield a bit. Right now it's Ramos/Jones/Dominguez/Grisham, and eventually Bellinger and Judge are gonna come back and it's gonna get even more crowded. It's bad enough that Paul Goldschmidt's gonna have even less at-bats now [more on that in another post], now we're crowding the active roster. It's gonna be worth it if Ramos continues his very strong work, which is very likely.

#9: Taylor Ward to the Mariners, 3 prospects to the Orioles

The Mariners have the kind of team that should work more in concept, because you have Randy Arozarena, Brendan Donovan, Julio Rodriguez, Dominic Canzone and Josh Naylor there and the contact game is ailing. So in comes Taylor Ward to make it even more ridiculous. Ward's having another excellent season, but it's a very contact heavy one without much need for power. He only has 7 homers and 30 RBIs, and that is appalling from a guy who's had 100 RBIs and 36 homers JUST A SEASON AGO. Wouldn't a trip to Seattle be a fun time to start power-hitting? Ward's an excellent outfield bat with some versatility and perks, and he could be the lineup piece that the Mariners need to save their season. I just think he really fits with what they're doing in Seattle. I'm also really happy the Mariners didn't deal Kirby or Emerson. Yes, that prevents against the possibility of stretch Kade, but their rotation is excellent and didn't need to be broken up beyond Castillo.

#8: Kevin Gausman to the Cubs, 2 prospects to the Blue Jays

The Jays had a really weird deadline, because they both sold and bought at the same time. And arguably they should have committed more to one than both. Ultimately, they chose to part with one of their longest-tenured stars, the mighty Kevin Gausman, where he will become something the Cubs have desperately needed this year: an actual ace. Justin Steele's been hurt, Cade Horton's out for a while, Shota Imanaga's struggled. They need stability, and Gausman is a veteran arm with postseason experience who can back up the already strong offense. This is a downslope of a year compared to his peak, as he is 5-10 with a 4.38 ERA, but he's still a fundamentally strong pitcher with a lot of great starts left in him. I think he will greatly aid the Cubs down the stretch. Perhaps not as much as someone a little further down, but enough to land on this list.

#7: Luis Arraez and Caleb Killian to the Phillies, 2 prospects to the Giants

This is arguably a little low, but it's down here because the Phillies really needed a better option at fourth or fifth starter and didn't get one. They also needed an outfield bat...and didn't get one. So Luis Arraez, as good as he is, is an odd consolation for so many pieces of this lineup that needed help, and if we miss out on a World Series, it could be Dombrowski's fault for not going further. However...the Phillies now have Luis Arraez. And that's a very good thing. One of the best contact hitters in the game, and a terrific defensive 2nd baseman, joins this lineup, and moving Stott, Bohm and Harper around supremely improves the defense in general. Arraez is electric wherever he is, and the Phils could see that fully going forward. We also got Caleb Killian, who's a terrific bullpen arm with a great upside. Very much a win for Philly, even if the team isn't fully improved by this deadline.

#6: Foster Griffin to the Guardians, 4 prospects to the Nationals.

The Guardians had a sneakily good deadline, bringing on a lot of pieces that lift this team up to where they can really chase Chicago. Foster Griffin was their best move, because their fifth man in the rotation was Slade Cecconi, and as good as he can be, they could do better. Their rotation is now Messick, Williams, Bibee, Griffin and Cantillo, and that's among the best in the bigs. Griffin isn't an ace, but he's an excellent mid-rotation arm with 12 wins and a 3.05 ERA under his belt, and that's from playing for a very okay Nationals team. He'll thrive in a playoff environment in Cleveland, and build on this belated rookie season to become an even bigger force going forward. 

#5: Clay Holmes and Tyrone Taylor to the Cubs, Francisco Rojas to the Mets

This one ways a little more than Gausman to me for the Cubs pitching additions, because Holmes, until the injury, was having the best season of his career, and one of the only good seasons on the Mets. Through 9 games he had a 2.39 ERA, and was proving that the Mets moving him to the rotation was a good idea after all. The idea is that once Holmes is active [as well as Braxton Garrett], he'll be able to aid the Cubs rotation, and I see him as a front-facing integral arm that could lead them through some postseason games. Tyrone Taylor's also an excellent outfield depth option for this team, and could be very helpful on a postseason roster. The Cubs weren't fully ready before, and now they are.

#4: Freddy Peralta to the Rays, 3 prospects to the Mets

This deal will work out if the thesis, that the Mets were just a really poor fit for Peralta, is true. Peralta succeeded in Milwaukee, a small market team built on contact and pitching. That's also the Rays. Low budget, small core, close wins, and an impressive rotation. Peralta levels it up, as good as Rasmussen and Martinez have been. Shane McClanahan's gonna miss some time, and Peralta will be relied upon to deliver Brewers numbers as an ace for a Rays team with a shot at a #1 seed. Peralta's 4.99 ERA will need to come down if the Rays want to take advantage of this deadline, and I have a feeling it will. Meanwhile, Jett Williams is still chilling in the Brewers' farm system, and Brandon Sproat is getting all kinds of starts, so...lolMets.

#3: Liam Hicks to the Rays, Brayden Taylor and 2 prospects to the Marlins.

I like this one a little better for the Rays, simply because it fixes a lot of problems. It ups their catching game, ensuring Nick Fortes doesn't have to start behind the plate as much. It also gives them a proven contact bat with some kick against righthanded pitchers, and a very well-trusted lineup presence. I think he's just one of those guys who can pop into any lineup and just dive right in with excellent production, so I think he'll love Tampa. And also, he drains the Rays' farm system a little more so other teams can have a chance. Just a really cool, sneaky move by the Rays that positions them further towards a late run.

#2: Adley Rutschman and Jake Rogers to the Red Sox, Carlos Narvaez and 4 prospects to the Orioles.

I would say since Varitek left, the Red Sox have had a revolving door at catcher. So many guys that could have been the one, or should have. Victor Martinez, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Sandy Leon, Christian Vasquez, Connor Wong, Carlos Narvaez, and the list goes on and on. So to finally have an answer at catcher, and for it to be Adley Rutschman a terrific hitting catcher whose team already foreshadowed this move by signing Samuel Basallo to a multi-year deal...that is huge. Rutschman's having another great season, but it did feel like this O's team was moving past the need for him. With this Boston team he'll fit right in, and be another huge lineup piece of a team that's quickly becoming a serious wild card threat. Very much a case of giving a team exactly the guy they need going forward.

But of course...nothing was gonna top the #1 piece on the board. Even if you disagree with its existence, this deal needed to be #1.

#1: Tarik Skubal to the Dodgers, River Ryan, Zyhir Hope and 1 other prospect to the Tigers

So. The best team in baseball got the best pitcher in baseball. In 16 starts, Skubal had a 2.79 ERA, 7 wins, 116 Ks and a 2.9 WAR. He's still in his peak, is effortlessly brilliant, and was never gonna stay in Detroit. The Dodgers taking him happened because they had a well-stocked farm system where even their lower tier prospects were more than other teams were offering. It's disappointing that, like a lot of recent Dodger developments, nobody else could stop it from happening. But now Sku gets to help the Dodgers go for a threepeat, and it's gonna make electric October baseball even if they don't get all the way. It's also gonna add fuel to the fire that Skubal will, in all likelihood, choose to stay in LA going forward. Definitely shifts the balance of the game, which is what the trade deadline is for. 

So yeah. A lot happened. A lot of teams won. And now the Dodgers are even scarier. Sets up the last third perfectly.

Sometime tomorrow there'll be a 'best of the rest' post most likely, with a lot of other deals that didn't make this list. 

Elias Actually Did Something

 

It feels so obvious but for a team that just doesn't take on new contracts or players very often, it seems like the revelation of the century. If you bring in a bunch of players that can help the team...they will help the team win. It may not look like much from 4th, but I am telling you that this team is way better than it was without Pete Alonso, Taylor Ward, Leody Taveras, Blaze Alexander or Shane Baz. Last year, all Mike Elias added to the Orioles were three contracts that were unloaded by July [Morton, Kittredge and Laureano] and Tyler O'Neill, who's kinda sucked here. Now we actually have talented people in their prime delivering in Baltimore. What a difference that makes.

So, let's talk about Taylor Ward. He was traded for Grayson Rodriguez. Rodriguez is once again hurt and trying to pitch through it. It's not going well. Ward, meanwhile, is doing exactly what he did in Anaheim. He's leading the O's in doubles with 18, he's hitting .257 and has 5 homers and 22 RBIs, and he's still excellent out in left. That kind of bat, even behind Rutschman, Henderson, Basallo and Cowser, is still pretty valuable and varies the brunt of the offense. I dunno if we're gonna get to where we were in 2016, wall-to-wall unbeatable no matter how far down you get, but this is already looking good, even with Alexander, Taveras and Jackson bringing up the rear.

And then there's Pete Alonso, who's overcome a slow start to continue his run as one of the most consistent power hitters in the game. He's got an .815 OPS, a .474 SLG, 55 RBIs and, yes, 18 homers, on the way to what could be another 30+ homer year [which would be #7 if it happens, in...yeah, 8 seasons]. He's got a decent chance of making 300 homers this year if he doubles his current total, and there's still room for him to continue this standard of power hitting as a Baltimore Oriole. Early on they wanted to really push this narrative of 'well is this contract gonna be a mistake for Baltimore', and...no, not really. He's still Pete Alonso. Doesn't miss a game, gives his all, hits for power like no one else even on a down year. Chris Davis isn't this guy.

The O's could use some better stuff from their established talent though. Trevor Rogers seems to be on again, and he needs to stay on. Kyle Bradish and Brandon Young have been pretty much but the full rotation still isn't all the way terrific yet, and part of that is just how okay Shane Baz has been [he's 4-8]. Zach Elfin, Cade Povich and Des Kremer have been little-to-no help due to injuries, and usual bullpen mainstays Keegan Akin and Andrew Kittredge have been struggling mightily. The preexisting core needs to supplant the new guys, so that it all might be worth it. And the Orioles have had some very nice stretches, but it's all too inconsistent this year, which is too bad.

There's still time to turn things around, and there's still enough elements working that you can't completely count them out. I'm just thankful the new moves paid off. Let that be a lesson to you, Mike. You can too build a worthy team.

Coming Tonight: The Marlins are somehow still over .500 and have one of the best home records in baseball, and this guy has certainly helped this month. 

Puzzlingly Warming the Stove

 

Well. Primitive of me to assume the offseason can ever start gradually. It's never a subtle, slow burn. Always just a bang. Josh Naylor re-signed with Seattle the other day, the qualifying offers went through today, and now I suppose it's on. Cause the O's and Angels just did something pretty crazy.

Okay, let's see here. Taylor Ward is one of the longest-tenured Angels aside from Mike Trout, he's okay on defense but his power ceiling's very high, and he just had his biggest year at the plate with 36 homers and 103 RBIs. This is the kind of year the Orioles would deal away someone for having, not deal for. Ward is gonna be 32, he's been healthy the past two seasons, and is still definitely a suitable lineup piece. Therefore, the Orioles trading for him is a very big move to adorn their still-young lineup with a veteran presence. 

Next year, the Orioles will be relying on Samuel Basallo, Dylan Beavers, Gunnar Henderson, Colton Cowser, Jordan Westburg, Jackson Holiday, Jeremiah Jackson and possibly even Adley Rutschman if they decide to keep him. That's a stacked roster, but it's also very young. A Taylor Ward type is a very good add-on, and one that could lead to a surprise Trumbo-in-2016 or Cruz-in-2014 type success. So I like this move from the O's perspective, just on the grounds that the Orioles need a bat like Ward, and he's better off there than in Anaheim.

However...I'm not quite sure about what they gave up for him.

So. Going into 2026, the Orioles' rotation is looking like it'll be some combination of Trevor Rogers, Kyle Bradish, Dean Kremer, Tyler Wells and Cade Povich if he decides to show up. Eflin and Sugano have left in free agency. It's not a deep bench, and four members of it have recently missed large swaths of time due to injury, leaving the only actual proven consistent guy for 2026 as...Dean Kremer. And I'd like to remind you that the Orioles do plan on competing next year. So even if Rogers, Bradish, Wells and Povich do manage to figure out A.) how not to get hurt and B.) how not to entirely shit the bed given the opportunity, looking at you Cade, that's not the kind of rotation that strikes fear into the heart of competitors. That's assuming Trevor Rogers plays like he did this year, Kyle Bradish plays like he did in 2023, and Tyler Wells plays like he's done in partial seasons. All at the same time for at least 32 games. You're probably understanding why I'm concerned.

The Orioles were going to get Grayson Rodriguez back next year after missing 2025 with arm surgery. And they just traded him to Anaheim. 

Now. MAYBE. Possibly. Mike Elias has something else up his sleeve in regards to bringing in starting talent. I really want to believe this. I'm also hesitant, because when he gives the idea that he's going to do this, all he brings in is a year of Tomoyuki Sugano, and a year of Charlie Morton. That's not trending upwards, that's treading water. In 2024, this rotation had Corbin Burnes. Now it doesn't even have Grayson Rodriguez. So I really hope he's got some other ideas on how to repopulate the rotation. There's guys out here who can make this look more impressive. Because if he doesn't, and Bradish, Wells and Rogers all go down again and all they can muster is Brandon Young, George Soriano and a barrel of hammers, he isn't allowed to play the 'well we triiiiiiied and it's haaaaaard' game. If you don't want to run a baseball club's roster, pick another vocation. 

Grayson Rodriguez will probably be fine for the Angels. I sincerely hope he's able to stay healthy there, because if he does he'll finally reach the potential he was [sigh] supposed to with Baltimore. Yeah, remember that? Around the same time as Rutschman, Henderson and Holliday were big prospects, Grayson Rodriguez was talked about in the same breath. His MLB material, especially in 2024, was worth it. I was in Baltimore this year, getting in early enough to see people walking home from a game, and they were carrying Grayson Rodriguez bobbleheads. It was his bobblehead day. Injured, yes, but he got one. Because there was that much promise. And to throw that away, even when you NEED a guy like him to keep the rotation in any way suitable...that's suspect.

Who knows, maybe this works out and Elias is a genius. I just have a funny feeling that they're gonna regret paring down the rotation shelf. Unless the return for Adley is an Opening Day rotation guy [or two], I'm gonna be baffled by them parting with Rodriguez for a little bit, Ward and all.

What You Were Asking For

 

Well...the Angels got a fuller season of Mike Trout. Because he'd missed parts of the last several season, he missed the part where he was supposed to phase out of his prime gradually, so instead we just have a huge drop-off. Here's normal Trout numbers. 20 homers, a .240 average and predominantly DH starts. This is what you waited for. 

I'm not acting like Trout's 2025 has been completely terrible, as his power numbers are reliable as ever, but the Angels are one of those teams that can only work if their star player is functioning. You've seen the Yankees without Judge, you've seen the Brewers without Yelich, and obviously you've seen a lot of the Angels without Trout. The last few years have gone 'season starts, Trout gets off and running, Angels look decent, Trout gets hurt, season over.' And so having a season where Trout gets hurt but only misses a month is an interesting change of pace for this team. We finally get to see what the Angels, especially these Angels teams, look like when they don't have to cover for Trout for 5 months. And the answer is...slightly better? 

Like, you've seen an uptick in some of the supporting players. Taylor Ward has had a very fulfilling season as a key power contributor, he's got a team-leading 27 homers and 87 RBIs. Ward is very much the product of his hot streaks, and the last month has been a very nice one. You're also seeing even more production from Jo Adell, who's got 25 homers and 70 RBIs. Adell may not exactly be what the Angels signed up for, but he can definitely contribute some power material. This team also has a halfway decent rotation formula, with only Jack Kochanowicz feeling like a weak link. Kikuchi, Anderson, Hendricks and Soriano have all been pretty solid this year, and have ensured the Angels that the deep well of rookie starters won't be necessary quite yet. Caden Dana is still waiting in the minors, but that may wait until they really need him. They even have a really strong closing performance from Kenley Jansen to rest on this year. 

Now, this doesn't make them a good team, or even a competitive one, but it makes them better than your average brand of Angels team. This team does not have to rely on Mike Trout as heavily anymore, and while he doesn't contribute, he doesn't need to be the team's savior, because they have Neto and Ward and Kikuchi and such. I think this more realistic strategy will make next year easier to plan, and the idea of eventual competition easier to work towards. 

...now if Trout's back to his old, .300-hitting self next year they might be screwed.

Coming Tonight: The ultimate role-playing pitcher, who came into the year as a relief option but has been responsible for some of the Diamondbacks' best starts.

Analyzing Shohei's Timing

 

It's just funny is all. The Angels right now are better, and more varied, than they've been in a while. They not only have more answers at important positions than ever, but so many relied-upon players actually playing worth a damn. And yet going into this season, Shohei Ohtani figured that staying in Anaheim was no way to actually compete, hence going with the other LA ballclub.

I get that he wanted the payday. I get that he wanted the Hollywood lineup. I get that he wanted more eyes upon him. But we're headed towards the possibility that Ohtani could have been on a playoff team if he'd stayed in Anaheim. Which is...kinda hysterical. 

The Angels aren't perfect right now, judging by yesterday's drubbing by the Red Sox. But so much of this team just feels ironed-on now, which...is kinda wild considering how disastrously shorthanded they were last year. For one, the two early call-ups from 2023, Zach Neto and Nolan Schanuel, are regulars in this lineup. Neto's been decent so far, but Schanuel made some waves by continuing an on-base streak from his debut like nobody before him, and it was going well til the MLB brass overturned a call, erroneously, and ended his streak. The Angels broadcasters basically used this as a way of going into a whole rant about how the MLB is making terrible decision after terrible decision right now, and seeing as the Orioles guy got suspended for just saying it took a while for them to compete again, hopefully they won't be forced to rescind those statements at gunpoint. 

But the main issue with last season for the Angels was that, while they had good players doing big things, they all happened in spurts. Y'know, O'Hoppe had his good week, then Ward had his good month, then Moniak showed up and was good for a month, etc. Right now Logan O'Hoppe, Taylor Ward, Tyler Anderson, Reid Detmers, Carlos Estevez and ESPECIALLY Mike Trout are playing well. Trout's hitting home runs like the old days, but Ward's right there with him, with 3 homers and 8 RBIs already. I'm really hoping for Ward to turn a strong start into an excellent full season one of these days, and hopefully now's the time. And Detmers has 19 strikeouts in 2 starts, which is a very good thing.

But you look at what Ohtani actually chose, and...they're actually doing pretty well at the moment too. The Dodgers are still shortchanged in the pitching department, and they have a lot of guys [including Ohtani himself] who won't pitch this year. But they've still managed to cobble together a decent rotation, because look at Tyler Glasnow go. Three starts in, he's 2-0 with a 3.18 ERA and 15 Ks. This is his most confident, most consistent start in a while, and hopefully he'll keep this success going. You're also seeing James Paxton's A-material again, and while it's wild that he's the 35+ veteran hurler after the injuries ate away at his peak years, it's refreshing to see him A.) in a Dodgers uniform and B.) succeeding in this role. 

But Ohtani wanted to be the third piece of the hydra. And Betts, Freeman and Ohtani are all off to nice starts. Mookie Betts especially, he's hitting .415 with 17 hits, 11 RBIs and 5 homers. And he's doing this while playing excellent shortstop, which is something nobody was really sure he could do. Betts may finally nab a second MVP this year, and I think Ohtani will be gracious enough to let him. Still, a .304 average, 6 RBIs and 2 homers ain't nothin' to sneeze at.

I think the Dodgers are going to have the better overall season, but it would be cool if the Angels finally put something together, even without Ohtani. Unless he bet on that as well...

Coming Tomorrow- A hurler who probably didn't think he'd be starting for a last place team this year. 

Uncustomed Heroes of 2023: Angels

 

It is that time of year once again. All of the players I didn't get to posting customs of during 2023, wrapped up by team as an end of the year package, to full put a bow on 2023 as a season. As usual, I will go in alphabetical order, and as usual, that means I get to start with the Los Angeles Angels. 

And look, I really thought this season would be different for the Angels. Things started a bit better, a lot more seemed to be working. But, alas, once Trout got injured there was really no point, and once Ohtani got injured it got really sad. They'll always have that month or so where they thought they were invincible, with that 25-1 victory over Colorado, and that sweep of the Yankees where they thought they could compete.

Taylor Ward, injuries aside, picked up where his 2022 left off, and hit .253 with 14 home runs and 47 RBIs in 97 games, along with a 1.7 WAR boosted by his above-average hitting habits. The midyear injury did take a lot away from his appeal as a trusted member of the team, and the search for a full-year campaign worthy of his May 2022 numbers continues.

2024 Prediction: If he does deliver an excellent campaign, he'll be traded by August. If he gets hurt again, he'll be cut before 2025. 

Tyler Anderson, on the heels of an excellent season in LA, was a candidate for an Angels fixture upon his multi-year contract he signed prior to the season. Despite only missing 7 or so games, Anderson struggled this year, going 6-6 with a 5.43 ERA. Like fellow starters Patrick Sandoval and Griffin Canning, he did provide consistency, but he wasn't there in terms of quality.

2024 Prediction: This will be a fuller, more impressive season from Anderson. There's still the worry that an injury could upend things, but I think 2024 will consist of Anderson holding up his end of the bargain. 

One of the most exciting aspects of the early part of the season for the Angels was Logan O'Hoppe, a breath of fresh air behind the plate, one who came over from Philly in exchange for Brandon Marsh. O'Hoppe, in his first 16 games, hit .286 with 15 hits, 4 home runs and 14 RBIs. For a season where the Angels knew they'd be without Max Stassi behind the plate, O'Hoppe was a refreshing, confident replacement. Then he got hurt. By the time he returned in August, the Angels had given up on competing. O'Hoppe finished the season with a .236 average, 14 home runs and 29 RBIs.

2024 Prediction: I think O'Hoppe's gonna build on his initial numbers and produce a solid season that makes the Angels realize they don't need Stassi anymore. 

An early season success for the Halos was picking up Matt Moore in relief, who had struggled the previous year in Philly. A refreshing market was all Moore needed, with a 2.66 ERA in 44 innings. Through the first half, Moore was the Angels' strongest relief option, and reclaimed his Arlington dominance, despite giving up Bryce Harper's 300th home run. Once the team threw in the towel, he wound up pitching for Cleveland and, eventually, Miami. 

2024 Prediction: A contender signs him and has some level of success with him, though maybe not quite Anaheim levels.

I think I've said this every year, but the emergence of Luis Rengifo as a starting highlight for the Angels typically means that something has gone terribly wrong for the Angels this season, much like how Jose Suarez starting games used to be an indication that the injuries to the rotation had reached the 'we don't know what to do now' threshold. 2023 is the nth degree of this. Rengifo was brought in to start after David Fletcher, Gio Urshela and Anthony Rendon all got injured, and had a very nice run for himself, hitting .264 with 104 hits and 51 RBIs...and then right at the end of the season, he gets injured. So now the Angels need a replacement for their usual replacement player. What else can you do but laugh?

2024 Prediction: I don't know how many times the Angels can keep using Rengifo in the same exact way. Either they actually start the guy or they just cut him loose midyear given all the young talent they've brought up.

Around June, the Angels, with injuries piling up, got two smart bench options. One was Mike Moustakas, who was having a decent year in Denver, and comically left the Rockies for the Angels right after the 25-1 game. Moose is clearly not who he was in 2015, but he was still good for some power moments, with 8 home runs and 36 RBIs in 65 games.

2024 Prediction: It'd be very funny if Moose plays in 2024 and his old battery partner Eric Hosmer doesn't, but that's honestly the way things might be going. Maybe Pittsburgh picks him up or something. 

Actually participating in the 25-1 game on the Anaheim side was Eduardo Escobar, who was flipped from the Mets, convinced they would be find with Brett Baty [they weren't]. Escobar responded with a .219 average and 39 hits in 59 games, essentially proving why the Mets had given up.

2024 Prediction: Maybe someone picks him up for the spring, but I don't see Escobar playing a substantial role in the story of 2024, which sucks considering it was only 7 years ago that he was such a fun young infield guy in Minneapolis. 

After the Angels became buyers at the deadline due to their post-Yankees bravado, they went for several high-profile weapons. The highest profile was Lucas Giolito, who was having a strong year in Chicago. And then, of course, Giolito arrives in Anaheim, goes 1-5 in six starts with a 6.89 ERA, and all of the sudden the Angels aren't competitors anymore for some reason. And now the White Sox have Edgar Quero, who will be a big part of their rebuild. 

I have one more Giolito custom in this series, at which point I'll divulge my 2024 prediction.

One big indication that things may begin to look up in 2024? The number of prospects willing to launch themselves onto the team so soon after being drafted. This year featured playing time from Zach Neto, a prominent 2022 draftee, and Nolan Schanuel, a man named after an Angels legend, a prominent 2023 draftee. Schanuel had literally no photo for baseball reference to choose from, so the whole season went by with Schanuel as the Unknown Player while starting at 1st for the Angels. And that's a wild bit of this season; by the end, the Angels were so starved for options at first after Cron's injury that they were turning to a guy they'd drafted two months earlier to play first. And to his credit, Schanuel did pretty well, hitting .275 with 30 hits in 29 games. Not sure how Anthony Rendon felt about a 21-year old playing better than he did this year with what he was being paid.

2024 Prediction: A lot like Nico Hoerner in 2020, I don't think Schanuel's going to start the season in the majors, in order to give him a more traditional growth period. But once he's up, expect more of what we saw this year.

Coming Tomorrow- The Angels were a team that thought to base their entire future on one series with the Yankees. Tomorrow's team, meanwhile, should have seen their series with the Yankees as an omen.

Ward and Peace

 

It couldn't be going better for the Angels right now. Trout's hitting! Ohtani's hitting and he's pitching well! Syndergaard's healthy and on fire! Walsh is hitting homers! Velasquez and Rendon are great defenders still! Reid Detmers just pitched a no-hitter! And Taylor Ward, who the Angels have been waiting to develop for 3 years now, is finally playing like a pro, hitting .367 with 17 RBIs and 7 homers.

...for those keeping score, Ward has hit more home runs than Anthony Rendon, Jared Walsh or Shohei Ohtani. Crazy, crazy stuff. 

Ward really unlocks the last piece of the puzzle for the Angels. There's always been a lot of power hitting on this team, a lot of great defense, a lot of contact hitting. In David Fletcher's absence, Ward provides a contact hitting outfielder who can also hit for power. And that gives us an outfield of Ward, Brandon Marsh and Mike Trout, all of whom are playing very well right now. Trout, at 30, is hitting .339 with 9 homers, and seems like he wants another MVP. 

The only real issue with the lineup right now is that Suzuki and Stassi are both injured, so they've had to wheel in Chad Wallach and Austin Romine, and neither is fully to the level of the first two. Either they're gonna ride it out with Wallach or they're gonna trade for somebody's backup. Or maybe they'll do what everybody else did last year and sign Jonathan Lucroy for 3 games.

The pitching is pretty smooth right now, thankfully. Ohtani, Syndergaard, Sandoval and Detmers are pretty awesome right now. Michael Lorenzen has surprisingly been pretty strong as a starter, and though the ERA is in the 4-zone, he's seemed to be in better shape than he has in a little bit. There's also a ton of depth in here, like the fact that this is all happening while Griffin Canning is injured, and Jhonathan Diaz is just...there for a call-up whenever the need arrives. The Angels' rotation hasn't been this strong in years, and I'm glad it's this year that it's happened.

Pretty much everyone on this Angels team is playing well, and they're riding a ton of momentum into some easy division series' against lower-tier competitors. I am so excited to see this team finally at a competitive level, and I hope they can keep it up and get Trout and Ohtani to the postseason.

Coming Tomorrow- The Padres are trying to make a power move over the Dodgers, and they're doing it with the help of a former #1 draft pick that's finally blossomed.