The Angels Are An Absolute Embarrassment

For years, the Angels have been a running joke in the MLB. Ever since Mike Trout came onto the scene, the running joke has been the Angels have the best player in baseball. Yet, they still can’t make the playoffs. These jokes only got amplified when Shohei Ohtani joined the team. Now, these jokes are well deserved. When you have two of the best players in baseball, yet can barely keep a .500 record. That’s unheard of. What other sport could you have that much talent on the roster, yet not even come close to making the playoffs? However, what the Angels have done over the past few days has shown they’ve truly reached a new low.

Angels Plan At The Deadline

Going into the season, it was known that it was the last chance for the Angels to make a run. Ohtani’s contract was coming to an end, and it was a foregone conclusion he was going to walk. So, it was the last chance for this core to truly make a legitimate run. Going into the deadline, the Angels were at a crossroads. They have been hovering around .500, however, were only a few games back of a wild card spot. So, the Angels had two options. Sell off pieces like Ohtani, and rebuild the farm. Or, buy players and try to make a push for the wild card.

Everyone was expecting the Angels to be sellers. This is mostly due to the fact the Angels’ farm was one of the weakest in baseball. The Angels only had two prospects in MLB pipelines’ top 100. So, they didn’t really have enough to get a big-name piece. They also didn’t have enough depth in their farm to make multiple moves. Plus, they’ll get one of the biggest hauls in MLB history if they trade Ohtani. So all signs pointed towards them selling.

However, the Angels instead defined everyone’s expectations and decided to be buyers. They wanted to make a run at a playoff spot and buck the narrative. The Angels were one of the most aggressive players at the deadline, acquiring, Lucas Giolito, Randal Grichuk, Reynaldo Lopez, and Dominic Leone. These players would give the Angels another reliable starter, fortify the bullpen and give them another bat. Everything a team needs in order to make a deep playoff run.

Results After The Deadline

Originally, the Angels were praised. Everyone respected that they wanted to win and were going to try and be competitive. Some analysts even said more teams should be like the Angels. They shouldn’t be worried about years in the future. If they have a chance to win now, go for it. Unfortunately for the Angels, things would collapse very quickly for them.

After the deadline, they went on a seven-game losing streak. This losing streak would drop them under .500 and move them to a fringe playoff contender. Things didn’t get better from there. In the entire month of August, they went 9-20. They are 12.5 games out of the division and 11.5 games out of a wild card spot, ending all hope for a playoff spot. Not only was the record bad, but they lost Ohtani and Trout to injuries. Trout had to go back to the IL after his hamlet bone injury continued to bother him. They also lost Ohtani to a torn UCL. Sure he’ll still be able to hit, but they’ve lost their ace for the rest of the season.

After one of the worst months a baseball team can have, the Angels officially waved the white flag on Tuesday afternoon, putting six players on waivers. These include Matt Moore and Hunter Renfroe: two of their offseason acquisitions. What’s more shocking? They put the four guys they acquired at the deadline on waivers, essentially cleaning house entirely.

Where Do They Go From Here?

The Angels are going to have to take a long look at themselves this offseason. Currently, the Angels are in one of the worst shapes of any MLB team. Not only will they be losing their star player in Ohtani, but they gave up a lot of good prospects at this year’s deadline. This leaves their already weak farm system as one of the worst in baseball. Currently constructed, the Angels have absolutely no future. It’s time for the Angels to completely start over.

That means it’s time for them to trade Trout. Yes, Trout is one of the best players in the MLB and will return as the face of the Angels next season. However, the Angels could be one of the worst teams in the MLB next season. What’s the point of having a great player if you going to lose 90-95 games? Also with Trout’s rare back condition, who knows how long he’ll be able to put up the production he does. It would make more sense to trade Trout from as many prospects as possible. This would help rebuild the farm system and give their rebuild a jump start. Regardless it’s going to be a long time before the Angels are good again.

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