What is the right question to ask about the Angels’ deadline strategy?
They have the most attractive trade candidate imaginable in Shohei Ohtani. Here is a man who lays bare the inadequacy of the term generational talent, who makes every hypothetical trade proposal an exercise in pure wishcasting, who is the best player in baseball and, crucially, one set to experience free agency later this year. And they also hold one of the longest playoff droughts in baseball. The Angels have spent five years trying to win with Ohtani. This sixth year feels like their final chance. But that chance isn’t particularly good: Even after a recent win streak, they sit just on the fringes of the playoff picture, still four games out of a postseason berth. As of Thursday morning, they have a 16.7% chance of making the playoffs, per FanGraphs. With less than a week until the trade deadline, they’re in a spot where selling is practical, and anything else looks a tad starry-eyed.
But the Angels clarified their position in a hurry Wednesday night. About three hours after Sports Illustrated’s Tom Verducci reported they were taking Ohtani off the market, the team made that point loud and clear, quickly working to establish itself as a buyer. The Angels acquired pitchers Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo López from the White Sox, and they made it happen by giving up two of their top prospects, catcher Edgar Quero and pitcher Ky Bush. The deal gave the Angels perhaps the best starting pitching rental on the market in Giolito. It also served as a declaration of purpose. The Angels are going all in.
