Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
The Angels are on the verge of solidifying their position as buyers for the trade deadline. They are only 4.5 games behind a wild card spot. The Blue Jays, Mariners, and Yankees are the teams standing in their way. The Angels next 6 games? They’re against the Mariners.
Angels have valuable trade pieces
With a 44-42 record, the Angels are looking to put some cushion above the .500 line. The trade deadline will come on July 31st so the front office has to decide soon on what they want to do. They have some very valuable trade pieces if they decide to sell. Raisel Iglesias, Alex Cobb, and Andrew Heaney would be the players that can net the biggest returns.
If they decide to be buyers, they have some minor league assets they could move but not a lot. But to become buyers, they need to maintain at least 6 games behind the wild card spot. They are this close despite not having Trout for over a month and a struggling Rendon that has been on and off the IL.
Angels need to win 4 of 6 against Mariners
The Angels have to at least go 4-2 against the Mariners to really cement their stance as buyers. Anything lower than that could put them in a position to sell. The obvious area for help is in the rotation for the Angels. Ohtani, Cobb, and Sandoval seem to be the pillars of the rotation right now. Suarez has barely received a spot in the rotation so it is too soon to tell if he can provide some effective outings, although he shows a lot of promise.
Heaney has proven to be too inconsistent so he is likely the next starter out of the rotation if the Angels acquire another starter. Bundy and Quintana have already lost their spots in the rotation this season.
Favorable schedule coming
After their 6 games against the Mariners, they will face the A’s for 2 games in Oakland. Then they travel to Minnesota for 4 games before coming home for 3 against the Rockies and A’s. It’s actually a favorable schedule for the Angels. They are playing 6 games they are fairly even with, the Seattle Mariners. Then they play 7 games against low-tier teams that they should be able to take care of relatively easily. The Angels’ 2 toughest games come against the A’s. I’m not including the last 3 game series against the A’s since the Angels would have to decide by then whether they are buyers or sellers.
So Cobb will take the mound in game one, then Sandoval and Suarez will wrap up the series so the Angels have a good chance to win the series. The road to 4-2 starts today. If they go 2-1 in this away series, they will tie the Mariners in the standings.
