The Los Angeles Angels approach the July 31 MLB trade deadline with a clear direction. This team is two games below .500, fourth in the AL West and 4.0 games out of the Wild Card race. Most teams in L.A.'s position would bite the bullet and reset for next season, cashing in on key expiring contracts and focusing on the addition of long-term prospect depth.
Not the Angels, though. According to MLB insider Mark Feinsand, the Angels "appear to be buyers" after trading for LHP Andrew Chafin and RHP Luis García. That removes a laundry list of potentially valuable trade chips from the marketplace. Taylor Ward, Tyler Anderson, Kenley Jansen, Luis Rengifo — all appear likely to stay put.
The Angels appear to be buyers, which likely takes Taylor Ward, Tyler Anderson, Kenley Jansen, Luis Rengifo and others off the trade market (if they were ever actually on it). The Angels are going for it, trying to get Mike Trout back to October for the first time since 2014.
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) July 30, 2025
This is utterly baffling. Los Angeles has been stuck in a vicious cycle of mediocrity for years, in no small part due to Mike Trout's dramatic lack of availability. The desire to "go for it" while Trout is healthy is understandable. Trout might even appreciate the gesture. But in reality, the Angels are undermining their future for a futile endeavor.
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Angels cannot seriously operate as trade deadline buyers, Mike Trout or not
This is a wrongheaded approach from Perry Minasian and the Angels front office. Trout's health is a fleeting gift and yes, getting him to the postseason for the first time since 2014 would get a great storyline. It sounds almost impossible that Trout, one of our all-time great players, has spent more than a decade straight watching the playoffs from home.
But the Angels need to take a realistic approach here. This team is not built to win in October. Barring a truly seismic addition, such as Eugenio Suárez or Dylan Cease, it's hard to imagine the Angels moving the needle in a substantial way. And even then, the American League is a total guantlet, starting with their own division. Texas is the hottest team in MLB after the All-Star break. Seattle has all the bells and whistles, led by an MVP frontrunner in Cal Raleigh. The Astros are the most accomplished winning organization of the last decade.
Los Angeles currently has one (1) regular starter with an OPS over .800 this season. His name is Mike Trout. There is a single reliever in the bullpen with a sub-3.00 ERA. It is Kenley Jansen, who will turn 38 before the end of the season. There are plenty of good players on the Angels roster, but their star-power and depth pales in comparison to most MLB contenders.
Mike Trout needs to get up and out of Anaheim
Is there a world in which the Angels make a few nice trades and get hot at the right time? Sure. But what does a Wild Card berth actually accomplish, aside from ending Trout's lengthy postseason drought? The Angels need to be building sustainably for the future. The goal can't be to sneak into the sixth seed by the skin of their teeth while sacrificing next season's product with a bunch of haphazard rentals.
Trout is a tremendous player still when he's on the field. Getting another team to absorb the totality of that contract, which runs through 2030 at over $37 million annually, will be tough. But at a certain point, Trout should come to accept the reality of his situation. The Angels are a poorly run organization that has failed him at every turn. If it takes a mad dash at the trade deadline to break your 11-year postseason drought, something ain't right.
Los Angeles is not showing any indication that the team will be built for the duration of Trout's contract. As such, if the three-time MVP were to request a trade next winter, who could really blame him? Certainly not me.