Don’t expect the Los Angeles Angels to part ways with pitchers Andrew Heaney or Tyler Skaggs too easily.
The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported on Monday that the Angels are not interested in trading either player.
#Angels have no interest in trading Heaney or Skaggs, per source – team needs them to compete in ‘19. As I said Saturday, LAA drawing interest in controllable relievers – Parker, Alvarez, Bedrosian, Anderson. Open on any of them, but will want good returns to give up control.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 16, 2018
Rosenthal says they want to keep both pitchers in order to have a better shot at contending in the future. However, the team is open to trading some of their relievers, who may draw interest ahead of the deadline.
Skaggs, 27, is 7-5 with a 2.57 ERA this season with 105 strikeouts. He is under team control through 2020, which should make him even more attractive as a deadline piece.
Heaney is also 27. He is 5-6 with a 3.78 ERA this season and has 102 strikeouts in 102.1 innings. He is under team control through 2021.
The Angels are a game over .500 but have fallen way behind in the AL West race, which is why they’re open to some trades. However, the team should consider trading Skaggs and Heaney while their value is the highest it’s ever been. Both players have had serious injury issues and are healthy for the first time in a while. The Angels should explore the trade markets for both players for that reason.
