LA Angels Thursday News Crash: Inflammation

In the Hopeless Hope category. Here is a type of trade idea that may work for all you “but who will play/we watch if we make that trade?” line of thinking….

Angels make a trade with the Astros. Barf.

Astros get Nolan Schanuel.

Angels get:
Christian Walker and his contract. A big negative.
Xavier Neyens SS (Rook)
Kevin Alvarez OF (Rook)
Ethan Frey OF (A Ball)
Ryan Forcucci SP (Rook)

The Astros are payroll sensitive and Walker and his contract are an issue. He is signed through 2027 for 20M a year at age 34. He is actually a fairly good 1B. Had a down year this year, but usually hit’s for at least a .750 OPS and plays GG defense. Even down year Walker is as good as Nolan. It’s just that Nolan is as good as Walker for way less money.

IF ARTE APPROVES A BIG PAYROLL JUMP in order to “reload” instead of rebuild, but we still want to build a farm, then paying out the nose like this is the way to go. We get a guy to play 1B who isn’t much of a downgrade and may even be good again. We also get some solid prospect return. The farm is fed, the people are entertained, the cash flows through the gates….

We do the same with other positions.

Cardinals get: Jo Adell

Angels get:

Nolan Arenado and the 42M owed over the next 2 years. Bummer.
Yairo Padillo SS (Rook)
Leonardo Bernal C (AA)
Jesus Baez 3b (A+)
Tink Hence SP (AA)
Joshua Baez OF (AA)

Arenado has an 85 OPS+ now. But you get to watch him play 3B. Yay! And we get a solid prospect haul far beyond what we’d get for Adell alone. Who replaces Adell? Soler my friend. Or Mark Canha….

Repeat this move 2 or three more times with Neto (Yankees?) Soriano and Detmers (Everyone needs pitching?) and maybe O’Hoppe (Everyone needs catching?)

That’ll be another 15 prospects. Our payroll will be friggin huge for about two years as we add expensive #4 starters and old corner OF and have No one to play CF.

What’s crazy is a guy like Arenado will actually give us the same value we are getting from 3B now. As will Walker at 1B. There are other overpriced contracts out there on teams that need payroll space that involve players that are just about as good as what we have now if not better. You wanted to stand pat? Here you go.

The issue is, we will have a starting line up with an average age of 35. A rest home. And we will be VERY expensive for about two years. We will also be BAD, especially on defense most likely.

We will have grit. Old grit. We may even finish above .500. We will also have experienced vets to greet some kids. All this money other than Trout falls off the books in a couple years. We will have a stacked farm coming onto the roster.

I call this move “The reverse dinosaur”. All you old farts should love this.