Angels Rumors: MLB Insider Names 2 Halos Pitchers as Major Trade Candidates

MLB.com's Mark Feinsand listed two Angels pitchers as trade candidates if general manager Perry Minasian has permission to deal from his major league roster between now and the July 31 trade deadline: left-hander Tyler Anderson and right-hander Kyle Hendricks.

"The Angels remain in the AL Wild Card mix despite a sub-.500 record, but both Anderson and Hendricks are going to be free agents after the season, making them potential trade chips for Los Angeles," Feinsand writes. "Anderson is owed about $6 million for the rest of the season, while Hendricks is owed roughly $1 million — a difference that would seemingly make Anderson more difficult to deal."

"The Angels won’t get a huge return for either pitcher," he added, "so their place in the standings later this month should determine whether either is dealt."

The Angels are challenging the binary notion of every team as either a buyer or a seller in July.

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The Angels entered the All-Star break with a 47-49 record, and a 4 percent chance of making the playoffs, according to FanGraphs. Baseball Reference gives the Angels a relatively meager 2 percent chance of playing into October.

On the other hand, the Halos are 25-24 overall against teams with a better than .500 record. They are 5-1 against the Boston Red Sox, who would be the second AL Wild Card team if the season ended today, and swept the Dodgers in a three-game series in May at Dodger Stadium.

The projections might be putting a lesser emphasis on these numbers, and more on the Angels' minus-62 run differential — a direct result of their 8-15 record in games decided by five or more runs.

Your perception of the Angels as a deadline buyer or seller depends on which set of stats you find more persuasive.

If the Angels intend to make a go at a Wild Card berth — to say nothing of the American League West title — it's hard to imagine them getting there without Anderson and Hendricks.

The Angels the only team that relied on exactly five starting pitchers prior to the All-Star break. While it's easy to poke holes in Hendricks' 4.88 ERA, or Anderson's identical FIP, the Angels aren't teeming with major-league-ready pitchers at Triple-A to take their place.

Based on recent history, it's also hard to imagine the Angels dealing from their trove of big league veterans. They assumed a buyer's posture at the 2023 deadline despite a three-game deficit in the Wild Card race when August began. They're currently four games behind the Seattle Mariners for the third and final AL postseason berth.

While other teams might be calling on Hendricks and Anderson over the next two weeks, don't be surprised if both remain in Anaheim after the deadline.