While the Angels are still in the mix to retain franchise face Shohei Ohtani, that hasn’t stopped the club from looking to improve other areas of its roster in the meantime. Fabian Ardaya and Sam Blum The Athletic reported this evening that the Angels have aggressive in the search for starting pitching upgrades on the trade market, engaging with rival clubs on multiple different fronts. That includes top-of-the-market rental arms such as Shane Bieber of the Guardians, Corbin Burnes of the Brewers, and Tyler Glasnow of the Rays, each of whom has frequently seen their name appear in the rumor mill this offseason.
Of the three, Glasnow has been the most frequently discussed as a trade candidate this offseason thanks to the Rays’ payroll situation and his hefty $25MM salary for the 2024 campaign. Such an addition would almost certainly push the Angels to the point of paying into the luxury tax for the first time in franchise history in the event they were able to reunite with Ohtani, who could command an annual salary in the range of $50MM or more. Bieber and Burnes, by contrast, would be somewhat more palatable additions from a financial perspective. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects the pair of right-handers to earn $12.2MM and $15.1MM in their respective final trips through arbitration this winter.
On the other end of the spectrum, Ardaya and Blum also report the Angels engaged with the Blue Jays regarding right-hander Alek Manoah, though those discussions did not ultimately gain traction. Even so, the club’s interest in adding Manoah to their rotation mix is noteworthy nonetheless. As opposed to the aforementioned trio of rental aces, Manoah won’t turn 26 until next month and would come with four seasons of team control. On the other hand, the right-hander’s production fell off a cliff in 2023 on the heels of his Cy Young finalist campaign in 2022. Manoah entered 2023 with a career ERA of 2.60 and FIP of 3.51, but saw those strong numbers collapse across 19 disastrous starts for Toronto this past season during which he posted a 5.87 ERA and 6.01 FIP in 87 1/3 innings of work. Manoah saw his strikeout rate fall to just 19% in 2023 as his walk rate more than doubled, making him more of a long-term change of scenery candidate than a surefire, short-term improvement to the rotation mix in Anaheim.
Despite the wide variety of arms the Angels are reportedly checking in on, Ardaya and Blum suggest that the club’s willingness to engage on the markets of these rotation arms, particularly those with only one year of team control remaining, could tip the club’s hand regarding their plans for the offseason regardless of whether they manage to secure Ohtani. If the club were to surrender young talent in a deal for an arm such as Burnes, Glasnow, or Bieber, that would be perhaps the clearest indicator yet that GM Perry Minasian and his front office have no intention of initiating a rebuild this offseason, regardless of Ohtani’s ultimately destination.
With or without Ohtani, the club is certainly justified in looking for improvements to its starting rotation for next season if they intend to compete in 2024. Of the five players to make at least 20 starts for the Angels in 2023, only Ohtani posted an ERA below 4.00, leaving the collective rotation staff with a 4.47 ERA and 4.52 FIP, both of which were below the league average last season. That would leave the club in line to benefit from an impact addition to the rotation even if the club could rely on Ohtani to start every sixth day next season. That need is even further exacerbated by the fact that Ohtani won’t take the mound at all in 2024 after undergoing elbow surgery back in September. Even if the club manages to retain their superstar slugger, it seems unlikely they’d be able to substantially improve on their 73-89 finish last season without giving their starting five a significant facelift.
The report doesn’t name specific pieces discussed as part of a potential return package of any of the players the Angels are pursuing. That being said, Ardaya and Blum note that rival clubs have been “intrigued” by the Angels’ group of fast-rising youngsters like Logan O’Hoppe, Zach Neto and Nolan Schanuel. It would be something of a surprise to see the club move any of those potentially core young pieces, particularly in a deal for a rental player. That being said, the Angels have been aggressive in trades for rental pieces in the past, including as recently as this past summer when they shipped out multiple top prospects to land Lucas Giolito from the White Sox.
pohle
a la “they have no prospects any team would want, but they need starting pitching”
OIC2021
Bieber, Josh Naylor, and Straw on the way for Mike Trout
Birdieman2
That’s not happening.
OIC2021
You’re right. Baseball Suspectus is now reporting that its Mickey Moniak for Shane Bieber, Myles Straw, and Eli Morgan
AngelBum
Trout would have to ok the trade if it’s a team he doesn’t want to go to, he will say no to the trade. So far the GM has said Trout is staying 100%
Setzer
This is it exactly. They can keep saying they’re aggressively looking but you can’t get something for nothing and they have nothing.
brewsingblue82
That’s what my thoughts were too. They had an already weak farm at the trade deadline as it was, gave up some prospects that were at the top with very little worth anything below that, and don’t exactly have anything worthwhile.
I’m sure they’re aggressively looking at the trade market. But I’m not sure anyone’s aggressively talking back. Most teams prefer quality over quantity. Angels could give up like 8 prospects for one of those pitchers and the other team still wouldn’t have gotten crap back in return.
i like al conin
They have MLB level players other teams want.
Candy Maldonado
They have guys, just stuff they’re not likely to give up. I’m sure guys like Bachmann, Joyce, Neto, O’Hoppe, and Schanuel have a lot of value, but I doubt they’d let go of more than one of them, if anything.
orange2001
They do, but they won’t part ways with O’Hoppe, Neto, Schanuel, or Detmers.
YourDreamGM
Every team has enough prospects to get most players unless it’s a absolute elite stud and the other team wants quality.
rottenboyfriend
how many Dodger players are home grown. Lux, Smith, Buehler, Kershaw, Before MaCourt sold to conglomerate the Dodgers were hit and miss! Freeman, Betts and Muncy are not home grown! U let Seager, Turner and Bellinger walk and they all had big years so quit claiming the Dodgers are baseball genius! Right now U R hoping to poach Ohtani from the Angels cause your lineup isn’t great and your starting pitching is horrible! Won one playoff game the past two years and lost to the D backs and Padres!! U all bash Moreno but in reality if Ohtani stays who has egg all over their face! Your payroll is always 60-80 million more than the Angels and now the Dodgers are starting to get the same injury bug the Angels have had. Unfortunately few teams have the available budget the Dodgers have! The Dodgers, Yankees and Mets have proven U can’t buy a championship!
DodgerBlue23
Angry Arte taking no prisoners!! So happy Arte got re-inspired to keep his club and go all the way!
bkbk
Dodger fans talk so much and lose at everything. The worst part is theyre never mad, at least the angel fans get mad at their incompetent ownerhsip.
DodgerBlue23
That is just a misnomer chica!
JohnFisher’s$1BlumpkinSpecial
What’s a misnomer? Dodger fans?
I don’t think you know what misnomer means. Sounds like you want to say it’s a popular misconception?
DodgerBlue23
Blumpkin, pretty sure (positive) I used the term aptly. Look it up. Could you define “blumpkin” while you’re at it too please?
JohnFisher’s$1BlumpkinSpecial
I know what a misnomer is, you don’t seem to know. Then tell me what was the misnomer in bkbk’s comment.
Blumpkin is a bj on the toilet.
DodgerBlue23
Appreciate you defining that for me. I’ll try it out on the cute cashier at Vons. The misnomer was that “dodger fans dont get mad at the losing and incompetent ownership etc.” Improper designation..
JohnFisher’s$1BlumpkinSpecial
That’s where we disagree. Thats more of a misconception or misunderstanding. A misnomer is a name or term. Like tinfoil or golf woods. Or like saying Athletics Baseball Team. It’s a misnomer because they aren’t an actual professional baseball team, but a collection of people whose sole purpose to play for as little as possible to line the pockets of an owner that pisses in his own mouth for fun.
Brian frigging Downing
Circumlocution.
JohnFisher’s$1BlumpkinSpecial
Debatable. 1st attempt fail, second clarify. Why make lot comment when few do trick?
aragon
With all the money spent every year the Dodgers’ last real World Series won was in 1988.
haighwiser
lol.. I don’t think people use the word aptly in general conversation. It sounds fancy though ha.. ha..
haighwiser
Brain freeze!!
outinleftfield
Considering bkbk never applied a name to the Dodgers, you are wrong. You know they HAVE dictionaries online, right?
outinleftfield
misnomer – a wrong or inaccurate name.
Try again.
You are a Dodger fan, what should we expect. Vile or nonsense or both.
Johnny Bravo
Well #### Morano I don’t see how you were so successful in business in marketing you sure don’t know how to run a baseball team. maybe read that book dummies owners
Mmmmm doughnuts
Champ world champion Texas Rangers
They might have prospects to get Glasnow just cause he’s a rental but it just keeps setting them back. This is Angel’s moves. They go for it when they shouldn’t go for it and then they have nothing left.
Johnny Bravo
Glasnow oh yeah, empty out the minor-league system
I think Homer Simpson could run the Angels better than Arte Moreno
As long as there’s a Krispy Kreme in the concession stands
DodgerBlue23
Street Cart Churros?
HalosHeavenJJ
Hard to beat a night of street taxis followed by street churros.
Johnny Bravo
Where at Chavez Ravine
TrillionaireTeamOperator
I think at this point the Angels should just blow it all up, tear it all down, rebuild from the ground up. If they’re stuck with guys like Rendon and Trout and maybe one or two others, fine, they’re stuck with some guys because of the contracts. But the rest of their roster is moveable or they could just tank and rebuild through prospects.
But I think trying to pick up a guy here or there will make no difference, especially if it’s replacing an Ohtani or something like that, where they’re breaking even at best and not improving.
HalosHeavenJJ
We should’ve done that years ago. That would take a realistic owner and a front office full of baseball people instead of billboard salesmen.
HalofaninHtown
It seems like no matter what as long as Arte owns this they will never make the right decision in regards to winning.
HalosHeavenJJ
Yep. At some point you just have to realize the owner sets the wrong direction, hires the wrong executives, and sets a stupid budget.
Johnny Bravo
As long as Arte owns the team kiss it goodbye
This one belongs to the Reds
“Aggressively scanning”. Two words I have never heard in relation to Po Boy.
Wire to wire 2024
I wonder if Derek Johnson could get monoah back on track
Ignorant Son-of-a-b
My wife accused me of “aggressively scanning” a bikini barista the other day, but it was more of a side-eye glance. She always exaggerates.
aragon
I used to tell my wife I was appreciating God’s masterpiece. Or doctors’.
This one belongs to the Reds
I have a Japanese friend who “aggressively scans” blondes at bars and hopes some of them likes Asian girls.
mlb1225
Angels are gonna trade Jo Adell to the Rays for Glasnow, Glasnow is going to throw like 65 innings for LA before hitting free agency and signing somewhere else, and the Rays are going to work their magic and make Adell a 40 home run hitter with Gold Glove defense in right field.
DodgerBlue23
Adell is a supreme bust. Nobody would want him.
mlb1225
Maybe not as a headliner, but if there’s any team out there who could take a supposed bust and make them an all-star, it would be the Rays.
aragon
He is not a bust. He was just under-coached. Marsh went from the same player(basically) to a high Avg, high Obp player with Phillies.
DodgerBlue23
Playing alongside Trout should be coaching enough when it comes to defense.
orange2001
It’ll take more than just Adell. They’d need to throw in a young arm like Bachman or Silseth plus a couple of intriguing low-level players.
Plugnplay
Orange2001, I don’t think it’ll take much at all in trade for Glasnow. Your only getting 1 year, and at a hefty price at that, at 25m. I would think Adell would be more than enough, also the Rays want to dump that contract like a bad habit. They just don’t pay players 20 plus mil.
HalosHeavenJJ
This.
I almost feel bad for raising my son to like this team.
drewm
You need something to trade in return
LDilbert
Perfect!
How does
Luis castillo
Robbie ray
For
1B schnabel
And some lower prospects
I’ll tell you once we shed the 47 million we promise NOT to sign Ohtani
angelsbroncosfan
Ok those 2 for Rendon and Luis Suarez sounds about right
LDilbert
That’s the ugliest contract I’ve ever seen (rendon) I don’t know what to sayyy…..
I’m sorry?
Ignorant Son-of-a-b
Dude, no. No more trade proposals from you please.
LDilbert
Hi , ignorant son of a B.
Ignorant Son-of-a-b
Low hanging fruit dude, but I understand.
kylek58
Man, only a month into the off-season and media outlets are having to come up with new synonyms for “interested in” like they aren’t just saying the same things over and over again
YankeesBleacherCreature
I personally prefer “actively engaging in pitcher courtship™️”.
mostlytoasty
The last thing the Angels should be doing right now is trading away what few reputable prospects they have left. Houston and Texas aren’t going away anytime soon and I’d ordinarily say the Mariners can’t be slept on either but their off-season has been a regression so far.
Let guys like Adell, Cabbage, Stefanic, and Moniak get 400+ ABs and see if they can sink or swim. They might very well be AAAA dudes, but spend the year finding out if they can make it as MLBers. That goes the same for many of their arms: Suarez, Silseth, and Davis.
See if Rendon can rebound at all and sell him off the moment he shows a pulse. Then by the TDL, ship off whatever else they can. By the end of the 2024 they’ll have a much better grasp on what the main areas of need are. Cause at the moment, even if they drop $75m+ in FA, they’re still gonna be like the third best team in the division. They have some solid to great young players being developed or already there, but there’s just too big a gap this off-season to overcome.
HalofaninHtown
Totally like your thinking as it makes sense. Therefore Arte will never do this. They shouldn’t be trading anyone except Rengifo, and maybe Thaiss and/or Fletcher. Give the 4 you mentioned a spring to work with the new staff and see if there is anything there to keep. Don’t trade any of their young pitchers maybe a single A arm if you had to make a deal, as that is their biggest need. If they trade Neto, O’Hoppe or Schanuel then they might as well blow the whole thing up because they should be your core moving forward.
Johnny Bravo
Anthony Randon couldn’t even hit his weight in the minor leagues
You’re killing Arte Moreno
yukongold
Alright. Houck for Trout. But only if some cash with Trout.
Rexhudler86
adell, rengifo, and Joyce might be able to fetch something. They better not trade schanuel, Neto or o’hoppe.
i like al conin
Yeah, that’s plausible. They also have the ability to trade controllable SP for ace rentals.
Brian frigging Downing
Neto is garbage. At his age and with a chronic bad back. Guess what, those don’t get better with age. He’s made of glass, just like Rendon. If they can get starting pitching for Neto they’d be complete idiots not to. But, they are compete idiots so…
HalofaninHtown
Neto’s back issue is something I’ve forgotten about. You being up a valid point for that or is it a byproduct of the crap training staff Arte he had for years. They have needed to fix that area for years and everyone seems to know it except for Arte and his buddies
prov356
Instead of aggressively scanning for pitchers, they should be aggressively signing pitchers.
brooklyn62
Angry Angels Admirers Advance Against Arte And Attack!!
Jrnomo100
Cards have matz Hudson was non tendered he would help them too
Ignorant Son-of-a-b
If they trade Schanuel, Neto, and O’Hoppee for flotsam & jetsam & broken down rentals /veterans that would be truly tragic & depressing.
James Midway
Why do people keep bringing up Manoh?
HalosHeavenJJ
I’m happy to hear tgis but the only way to fill the pitching holes is to trade from the position players and that’s not great.
There’s the beginning of a solid young core developing. We should step back and add to that for a couple years, not trade it away.
Rexhudler86
They are kinda of thin on starting pitchers, I wouldn’t trade them. That’s makes the most sense to me maybe bring back moustakas, and Calhoun would be the fourth outfielder, fletcher can be the utility player
Dutch
They might want Manoah just to protect their lineup from him.
TennVol
Hmm, Manoah, Tiedeman, Davis Schneider and Nate Pearson for Trout.
Rexhudler86
It’s funny how the trade trout rumors pop up the day perry said he will 100% not be traded. Lol
steelerbravenation
Sign locals Giolito & Flaherty gives them a lead on Fried next year
M.C.Homer
Bullpen 1st.
Consistently blow late inning leads year in and year out.
Don’t matter who starts with this lingering, festering bullpen problem.
DevoPettis
If the Halos were as aggressive on the base paths as they are scanning the markets or promoting youth they wouldn’t be in this mess.
carllafong
The Angels are NOT trading O’Hoppe or Neto– period. Could they trade Schanuel? Yes, but he would have to net them a legit starter with more than one-year of control. The Marlins are offering several quality young pitchers. Maybe Cease with two-years.? But my guess is that it’s Sandoval going back in a trade along with three other players. Maybe Regnifo is part of that mix and prospects. First base would be the easiest position for the Angels to replace, but not for just one season– no way. Rhys Hoskins could be signed and add pop inexpensively and on a one-year deal. Drury could also move to first.
Brian frigging Downing
Why wouldn’t they trade Neto? He’s a .225 hitter with a 600 ops and a chronic bad back… LOL he’s exactly who they need to trade.
Halo11Fan
He hurt his back on a slide, I don’t think he has a chronic back issue.
Brian frigging Downing
He missed multiple different parts of the season due to back spasms. Back spasms are a sympom of a chronic back problem, i.e. herniation, stenosis, etc. It wasn’t a singular slide that caused multiple stints out of the lineup. It’s a chronic condition that will only get worse.
Halo11Fan
One specific injury does not necessarily cause chronic back problems.
If you are an Angel fan, you should know this. Bobby Grich led the AL in slugging, HRs and OPS+ in 1981. He was hurt his back lifting an air conditioner, missing most of 1977.
He didn’t recover until 79, but his injury was far from chronic.
Medicine has come a long since then. This isn’t a problem until it’s a problem. Chronic?
Brian frigging Downing
You aren’t understanding the spine. It wasn’t one single injury. It is a degenerative condition. Disc herniations cause nerve root impingement and canal stenosis causes pain and lack of mobility. This isn’t a single injury that has now healed. You’ll have to watch next season when he misses multiple games with back “tightness” to understand the difference.
Halo11Fan
You don’t understand what the word chronic means.
It’s not chronic until it is. You are making a huge leap. Gigantic.
Brian frigging Downing
I understand the word chronic from a medical standpoint as a DC. I don’t have the inclination to educate you further on the word, or on the spine. You’ll need to just pay attention next season.
Halo11Fan
I have not read anything on Neto’s back since Aug and you jump to the conclusion it’s chronic.
Seriously?
M.C.Homer
I’m kind of in the middle between Halo and Downing. Stenosis will ruin your life. I had a single injury that caused mine. But my MRI showed prior degeneration. No wheelchair for me, it ain’t pretty but I walk.
I clearly remember feeling for Neto when he suffered this injury. He slid into home head first went head-to-head with the catcher which bent his back backwards while he was laying on his stomach. I can’t believe he didn’t break it. If he didn’t have a chronic condition before, he certainly will at some point. I feel sorry for him when he gets in his fifties. Nothing like having a doctor say it’s too risky and there’s nothing we can do for you… and you’re in pain 24 hours a day
M.C.Homer
Time will tell. We’ll see if he misses time for those famous back spasms Etc at his young age
Halo11Fan
Of course time will tell. It could be Larry Bird. It could be Bobby Grich.
There is a huge difference between ruling it out as a possible issue and calling it chronic.
It’s not a problem until it’s a problem.
M.C.Homer
Halo, Let’s all just hope Neto has recovered and back to a normal life.
Memory is coming back to me…
After the home plate collision and working his way back to health, he was knocked to the ground by Matt Olson running to 1st during one of his 1st games back. Also around the same time he leaped, reached over foul ground to catch a ball and landed on a big guardrail right on his back. Ouch
Halo11Fan
I’m the one who thinks Neto is a high floor, low ceiling player. So it’s not like I think he’s going to be the next Jim Fregosi.
I’m just not worried about his back until there is something to worry about.
And there is a lot to be said high floor low ceiling players. Brandon Wood and Jo Adell are low floor high ceiling players. One flopped, and the other is quickly approaching flop hood.
It’s not an insult to call players high floor, low ceiling. A team just has to be careful where they draft them. .at some point a team has to draft a star or two or three.
AngelsFan1972
You were “the only one”??
Why do you have to be self righteous? How about maybe a
I have felt that Neto is……
I am not aware of too many people think Neto is a HOFer, but most think he will be a very good long term option that they Angels can depend on for a long time.
Quit patting yourself on the back about providing AN OPINION, because that is all it is an OPINION.
soccer_ref
Glasnow
Middle reliever
Mid level prospect
For
Adell
Deitmers
Jose Alvarez
Cash
Make this deal tomorrow. Deitmers is so hit or miss. Can look like a dominant front line starter one day and a pitching machine in his next start.
aragon
That is way too much.
DevoPettis
No, the headline should read, Angels “Desperately Scanning”…. Aggressive implies taking on high risk for high reward. The Angels have never done a blockbuster trade in God knows how long. Most of their “aggressive” moves involve a desperate need to fill holes w mid-level 1 yr left on their contract or coming-off-a-down year variety player where they really don’t have to give a whole lot.
urnuts
I’m aggressively scanning for new ownership!
Silver Boot Series Enjoyer
Calling it now! Angels win 90 games in 20 years
aragon
The team can be sold, you know?
Logjammer D"Baggagecling
They can have Drew Smyly for a couple year passes to Disneyland.
aragon
All three teams are known to skin trade partners. Unfortunately, I have no confidence in Minasian.
AnnaDad
The Angels have needed starting pitching help for YEARS. Everyone in baseball knows that, well except for the owner.
Keep paying position players, ignore pitching. That’s what they have done for years.
halofaninmn
Isn’t Bauer still available?? reward definitely exceeds the risk.
aragon
I agree.
Sonnyboygonzo
I understand checking out the trade market. But the Young core of Neto, Moniak, Adell, O’Hoppe, Schanuel and Detmers, Silseth, and Sandoval shouldn’t be moved… and if you’re not moving those pieces, Caden Dana is the best piece available, I doubt he’s the main piece, I guess Ward who somehow still has 3 years of control could be included? The free agent market with Michael Lorenzen who is coming off a good year and now has playoff experience who wants to play in Anaheim makes more sense.. and I’d go in on Bauer ( it can’t be that expensive).
angelsbroncosfan
I would trade Moniak, right now without hesitation. His value is only going to go down. Can’t hit lefties, strikes out at a 35% rate. Average defense with a noodle for a throwing arm. Some team will think they can turn his first two months of this past season into something. Where in reality, he will be more like the last two months of the season. Where his OPS was around 500
Rexhudler86
Bauer might be interesting, he won’t be cheap, because he makes decent money in Japan. I can see it being 2/40 with a first year opt out. Keep in mind that was about the price for a broken Harvey, and syndergaard.
aragon
To invest that much in him risk outweighs reward. I think it will be $10 per.
Halo11Fan
And I want to date Gal Gadot. But clearly she has many more options.
The Angels already got fleeced at the trade deadline, they don’t have much to offer.
RyÅnWKrol
That’s a byproduct of the need for starting pitching. Same as using the six man rotation. It exposes middle relief too much. That’s why the bulk of run scoring occurs in innings 5-7. Even in the days of Shields and K-Rod, the Angels had little else in their bullpens after 2006. But they covered it up with a rotation that was always top 5 in the Majors in innings pitched.
RyÅnWKrol
This was supposed to be a reply.
outinleftfield
Aggressively scanning? WTH does that mean. Arte, you won’t let Minasian sign any pitcher to a deal longer than 3 years, so what kind of garbage are you aggressively scanning?