Not too long after they pulled Shohei Ohtani off the trade market, the Los Angeles Angels made a big trade with the Chicago White Sox, acquiring pitchers Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez.
The Angels entered Thursday’s doubleheader with the Detroit Tigers with a record of 52-49 and sat four games back of the third Wild Card spot in the American League, which is currently occupied by the Toronto Blue Jays.
On Thursday, Sam Blum, who covers the Angels for The Athletic, stopped by MLB Network to discuss the recent trade the Halos made to shore up their rotation and bullpen and what it means for them going forward.
“This is a big deal for them, they kinda needed this.”@SamBlum3 talks the impact of adding Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo López to the Angels. #MLBNow pic.twitter.com/BSPXDXyDkt
— MLB Now (@MLBNow) July 27, 2023
Blum noted that this is a risky move for the Angels, given that they are four games out in the Wild Card race and are giving away some top prospects.
However, he made it clear that the Angels have decided to go for it this year.
Blum says the Halos wanted to bring in some impact players as quickly as possible as they looked at the next week and the remainder of their schedule, and that this is what they needed to do in order to make a push for the postseason.
The Angels have not reached the playoffs since 2014.
That year, they were swept by the Kansas City Royals in the ALDS.
Blum believes that this is a very important move for the Angels.
There certainly is a risk factor, as he alluded to, but the Angels have made it clear that they intend to compete for a spot in the postseason this year.
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