Jun 10, 2025; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels pitcher Kenley Jansen (74) throws against the Athletics during the ninth inning at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Angels Could Move Two Crucial Pitchers Before Trade Deadline

Originally posted on Los Angeles Angels on SI
By Jason Fray | Last updated Jun 16, 2025 4:12 PM ET

The Los Angeles Angels find themselves at a proverbial fork in the road. The team has outperformed expections up to this point in the season, and as such find themselves hanging around both the division and wild card races.

No one believed that the Angels would be even borderline competitive heading into this year. Yet, helped by manager Ron Washington's ability to build a strong clubhouse culture, Los Angeles has an actual chance to play competitive baseball into the latter stages of summer for the first time in recent memory.

Bob Nightengale of USA TODAY News recently included the Halos in one of his notekeeping columns. As he theorizes, two veteran pitchers in particular could be on the move before the trade deadline should the Angels fall further out of contention in the middled AL West.

Nightengale

"The Angels are hanging in the AL West race, but if things change, starting pitcher Tyler Anderson and closer Kenley Jansen will attract plenty of interest."
— Bobby Milone (@BobbyMilone29) June 15, 2025

The two names specifically mentioned are starting pitcher Tyler Anderson and reliever Kenley Jansen.

Realistically, it would be somewhat shocking to suddenly see the Angels morph into a World Series contender given the talent on the team and the fact they are four games under .500 as of June 16th.

At the same time, with the American League being very down this year, LA must weigh whether to try and make the playoffs for the first time since 2014...or instead blow up the team by trading veteran players for whatever they can get back in return from an assets standpoint.

Calling it now: Cubs will trade for Tyler Anderson and Kenley Jansen. No inside information, just expect a Bandaid approach
— DJ musterd (@cwsdjt) June 13, 2025

Teams are also hungry for pitching towards the late-July trade deadline. Anderson is a crafty lefty that knows how to eat innings as well as get hitters out. He currently sports a 2-4 record with a 4.44 ERA in 75.0 innings pitched. For a contending team, Anderson makes real sense as a low-cost pitcher with experience.

Jansen is another pitcher on an expiring deal. The future Hall of Fame closer is 1-2 with a 4.94 ERA and 14 saves. He's another pitcher who has no shortage of experience in big game situations. With a change of scenery, Jansen might be able to turn back the clock and demonstrate some of the form he once displayed with the Dodgers in his prime.

While Jansen's underlying metrics have not be good this year, there could still be some value here given his intangibles.

For more Angels news, head over to Angels on SI.

This article first appeared on Los Angeles Angels on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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