Grading every team’s World Series chances after the trade deadline
By Brad Weiss
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angeles of Anaheim came into the 2018 season with expectations that they would be a playoff team. However, entering play on July 31, they were already 12.5 games out of first place in the AL West, and 9.5 back in the Wild Card, meaning their season was essentially over.
The only move the Angels made during the trade deadline was to move second baseman Ian Kinsler to the Boston Red Sox. Kinsler has not played well for the Angels this season, and really has been bad the last two years, hitting below .240 in each of those two campaigns after being a force at the position for the Detroit Tigers for so many years.
The AL West is going to be interesting this season, as the Oakland Athletics and Seattle Mariners have come out of nowhere to be contenders. Unfortunately for the Angels, that means they will finish near the cellar, were they are battling it out with the Texas Rangers for last place.
The Angels have arguably the best player in the game in Mike Trout, but they have not been able to win despite that. He is having another MVP-type season in 2018, but the time does eventually have to come where they start putting some quality players around him.
If the Angeles are to make the playoffs, it will be an absolute miracle, as they just have not been a consistent team all season long. They will likely finish at .500, but any hope of seeing Mike Trout in his first World Series is definitely out the window this season.