Twins Video
The Los Angeles Angels had two of the world’s best players (Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani) for multiple seasons, but were unable to field a winning team. Ohtani left in free agency this winter, and Trout has been hurt increasingly often for the last half-decade. The Angels also have one of baseball’s lowest-ranked farm systems, due to poor drafting and development.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan recently reported that the Angels "need to improve the worst-in-baseball farm system that they gutted last summer in an ill-advised spree intended to show Shohei Ohtani that Anaheim was the sort of place he wanted to stay for the remainder of his career." Los Angeles is a franchise with plenty of holes, but there is more than one helpful trade target for contending teams.
Hitters
Luis Rengifo is an intriguing hitter. He’s been used in a utility role for the Angels, while averaging a 111 OPS+ over the last three seasons. Rengifo is off to a hot start in 2024, with the team’s highest rWAR among position players and a 130 OPS+. He has one more year of arbitration eligibility, so the Angels may want to trade him while his value is at a high point. The Twins have other players in a similar role, so he’s likely not a trade candidate for the front office, but the picture could be shaken up by an injury or further struggles on the part of infielder Kyle Farmer.
Jo Adell is a former top prospect whose name has swirled in the rumor mill in recent seasons. He’s hitting below .200 this season, but that’s partially a result of the Angels using him semi-regularly. Adell destroys left-handed pitching, with an OPS above 1.100 this season. Minnesota has posted a .712 OPS versus lefties this season, so Adell could be a platoon option with the ability to play multiple outfield positions. (Notably, however, he's only played center field twice this season, and 13 times in his big-league career. He would be a higher-ceiling, but perhaps not actually better, version of Manuel Margot.)
Another outfielder, Taylor Ward, is expected to draw more widespread and eager trade interest, since he is under team control for two more seasons. Over the last three years, he has averaged a 120 OPS+, so his asking price will be high. As a right-handed hitter, Ward has improved against lefties this season. His .871 OPS versus lefties is 76 points higher than his career mark. Patient and excellent at lifting the ball with some steam behind it, Ward ranks eighth of 244 hitters in weighted sweet-spot exit velocity, created by TD managing editor Matthew Trueblood to estimate the overall ability to make high-value contact. He could be the most high-impact addition in this group.
Kevin Pillar is another veteran name who will draw some trade interest. At the beginning of the season, he was terrible with the White Sox (85 OPS+), so the team designated him for assignment. Pillar elected free agency and signed with Los Angeles. He’s had a stunning turnaround with the Angels, with an OPS of 1.089 while playing all three outfield spots. He won’t cost much to acquire, and would be a better outfield option than Manuel Margot.
Former Twin Miguel Sanó is also on the Angels roster, but likely won’t draw significant trade interest. He started the year strongly, with a .788 OPS in his first 18 games. Sanó was placed on the injured list with left knee inflammation on May 1, and suffered a setback after he left a heating pad on his knee for too long and was burned by the device. Few teams were interested in adding Sanó last season, and his latest injury might push down any chance of him joining a winning club in 2024. Certainly, that door is long closed for the Twins.
Pitchers
On the pitching side, left-hander Tyler Anderson has been the team’s best starting pitcher this season, and he is signed through 2025, which makes him even more intriguing. In 12 starts, he has posted a 2.37 ERA with a 1.13 WHIP. However, his 16.3 K% is low, and his 4.66 FIP suggests he's been more lucky than good this season. Minnesota’s front office likes to acquire pitchers with team control, but Anderson’s peripheral numbers wouldn’t necessarily make him a rotational upgrade for the Twins. It sounds like the Angels have a high asking price for Anderson at this point.
Hunter Strickland was terrible last season at Triple-A for the Reds and Angels organizations. In his age-35 season, he has rebuilt himself into a solid late-inning relief option. In 26 appearances, he owns a 1.73 ERA and a 0.81 WHIP. His xERA and Barrel % rank in the 94th percentile or higher, but his K% and Whiff% are below average. Strickland would fit a low-leverage role with the Twins, but strikeouts are the name of the game for relievers, especially in the playoffs.
Which player(s) should the Twins target? Is there an under-the-radar trade candidate beneath the Big A? Leave a comment and start the discussion.
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