The Los Angeles Angels have completely embarrassed themselves with their latest move.
They have placed five players on waivers with the hope that another team will claim them in an attempt to cut salary.
The players the Angels have waived include Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez, Matt Moore, Hunter Renfroe and Randal Grichuk.
What’s so embarrassing about waiving those players? Los Angeles gave up prospects to acquire three of the five players just a month ago at the trade deadline and is now letting them go for nothing.
The Angels acquired Giolito and Lopez in a trade with the Chicago White Sox last month. They gave up minor league catcher Edgar Quero and left-handed pitcher Ky Bush to get one month of service from the former White Sox players.
The Angels similarly acquired Grichuk (along with C.J. Cron) in a trade deadline deal with the Colorado Rockies. They gave up pitching prospects Mason Albright and Jake Madden to acquire both players. Grichuk has been terrible for the Angels, while Cron got hurt almost immediately.
What’s the bottom line? The Angels traded away four prospects a month ago for three players who not only were unable to help the team, but the players actually hurt them with poor performances. Now, a month after deciding to be “buyers” at the trade deadline, the Angels are trying to give them away in order to cut costs.
Moore and Renfroe are veterans who began the season with the Angels. The team is just hoping to dump salary now.
Many people thought the Angels’ playoff hopes were unrealistic. Rather than trade Shohei Ohtani, they committed to buying at the deadline. Instead, they completely stunk in August, and now are left trying to rid of their players.
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