As the trade season gears up for the Angels, who are still hovering around .500 and a few games outside the wild card picture, the team appears ready to be buyers as the deadline approaches.
The Angels have been connected to an All-Star third baseman. The most important position to upgrade if the Halos want to contend is the hot corner, and on the surface this is a match made in heaven. With Luis Rengifo’s struggles and Yoán Moncada’s inability to stay healthy, the need is strong and a hot bat and sure glove could transform this lineup.
Angels linked to Rockies’ All-Star “slugger”
Ryan McMahon, who the Angels have been linked to, is not the answer this team needs. An OPS+ on the season of 84 is technically better than what Rengifo has given the Angels. However, this is a textbook example of the Coors Field Effect. On the road, McMahon has an OPS+ of 73. He also has a league-leading 120 strikeouts. Simply put, McMahon is a third baseman the Angels need to avoid trading for at all costs.
McMahon is due $16 million each of the next two seasons, and would be a disastrous move by Perry Minasian as he is essentially fighting for his job over the next year and change. Rengifo has been coming on strong as of late, and while an upgrade is definitely in play the Angels should probably be sure the player they’re replacing Rengifo with is, well, better than him.
The bigger takeaway from the report of McMahon being linked to the Angels is that is essentially confirms the Angels are not selling as of now. After Toronto, it seemed like fate that there would be a fire sale in Anaheim. They have the most talented roster of any prospective seller, and could potentially make out like bandits at the deadline if they do operate as sellers.
As buyers, the Angels have needs at third base and in the rotation, especially with the demotion of Jack Kochanowicz (although the case could be made that is addition by subtraction). The team seems to be ready to approach the deadline as buyers, and while a playoff push could benefit this young core greatly, Ryan McMahon can not be apart of that vision.
