GUARDIAN ANGELS
Moves give Trout some help
THIS was a few days before the non-waiver trade deadline in late July. I was on the phone with Billy Eppler asking about his no-man’s land.
The Angels general manager lacked the kind of available/ desirable veteran commodities who would bring back difference-making prospects, and his farm system was not strong enough to aggressively bulk up for a wild-card run.
But the subtext was Mike Trout. And, sorry, Billy, this was at least the third time I questioned Eppler since he was hired in October 2015 about not possessing a good enough roster around Trout to capitalize on having the best player in the world, in his prime on a reasonable contract. And the subtext within the subtext was: Shouldn’t you be trading Trout, making the Angels’ Herschel Walker deal and starting over?
Each time Eppler has assured me his team was better than I thought and that it would win before Trout’s contract expires after the 2020 season.
Because of more major news going on around the deadline, I never got to write that column — essentially Trout’s prime being wasted with the Angels. That turned out to be fortunate.
A month later the picture has shifted. The Angels were 51-55 through July 31, but were 18-10 in August — the majors’ fourth-best record — and the Yankees and the other wild-card contenders refused to break away.
The Angels might not be a championship contender in 2017, but they are in the playoff race, plus their near future — and, thus, that of Trout — looks brighter because of a few dexterous trades by Eppler and the boosting of a farm system that was particularly bleak two years ago but — with Jo Adell, Jaime Barria, Jahmai Jones and Chris Rodriguez — is trending positively.
By trading for Andrelton Simmons as his first big move following his hiring and Justin Upton on Aug. 31, Eppler obtained not just two players he always liked when he was the Yankees’ assistant GM, he acquired players whose contracts run through at least 2020 (so concurrently with Trout), as long as Upton does not opt out after this season.
S i mmons ’ offense has i mproved greatly, and he remains arguably the best defender in the game. Upton is in the midst of probably his most consistent season. They combine with Trout to provide a strong everyday nucleus, and now imagine if the Angels can land the lefty bat of Eric Hosmer or Mike Moustakas in free agency this offseason.
They have about $75 million in salaries disappearing — notably finally being done with Josh Hamilton’s ill-fated contract, which is what more comfortably allowed the Angels to take on the four years at $88.5 million left on Upton from 2018-21. But Albert Pujols still has four years at $114 million left after this season, and despite being on pace for 25 homers and 100 RBIs, Pujols was ranked as the worst everyday player in the majors by 538.com last week because his on-base percentage, baserunning and lack of defensive value have become such issues.
Presumptive ace Garrett Richards has made just seven starts the past two years. The righty started the third game of this season, left with nerve irritation in his biceps and hasn’t pitched since. But the Angels are hopeful to return him to the rotation this week after Andrew Heaney and Tyler Skaggs already have rejoined.
Can those three stay healthy next year and be joined by, say, a free agent such as Alex Cobb?
Suddenly, the Angels, for the stretch this season and the near future, look much better than even a month ago, when trading set-up man David Hernandez was all they could muster at the non-waiver deadline.
On the final day of August, they had the worst OPS in left f ield and second base, and added Upton and Brandon Phillips. They might get back Richards and Yunel Escobar for the stretch. But the key is they always have the great Trout, and now he has a better group around him to try to win this year — and in the near future.