The LA Angels are reeling from the loss of Garrett Richards and now the team may look at trade targets at the waiver trading deadline, as names like Trevor Cahill, Bartolo Colon or Scott Feldman could be options from the Diamondbacks, NY Mets or Houston Astros as the team tries to piece back together the rotation after losing their best pitcher for the rest of the season to a knee injury.
The Angels have been one of the best teams in baseball and they now are challenging the A's in the AL West and they are in the lead heading towards the end of August. The team has done it without dominating starting pitching and with Richards being their best pitcher, the Angels need to find another arm to step up. The team is a game up on the A's and they are about to start another series with the team.
According to the LA Times and Hardball Talk, Bartolo Colon and Trevor Cahill are options for the team at the waiver trade deadline, while Scott Feldman also could be a target. Wade LeBlanc had the chance to be the replacement for Richards, but he was not effective and he was designated for assignment and now the team is likely to trade for someone.
Cahill has been up and down this season and he is a bit pricey, as he has a $12 million contract for next season, while Colon has $11 million. Those two players may be too much money for the Angels, which is why Feldman could be the pick. Cahill has been a bit of a mess this year and he has a 4.98 ERA in 87 innings in the minors and majors and they could be ready to give up on him. Cahill is much younger than Colon, but Colon has pitched pretty well this season and could be a fit.
General Manager Jerry Dipoto has a chance to make some moves and Feldman could be a cheaper option, as he will be in for two years after this at $18 million. The team wants to be under the luxury tax and that could play into things and Cahill comes in with a 3-8 record this season in 26 games and that included 11 starts. The Angels are ranked second in the league in runs and fourth in batting average, while the team is sixth in both on base and slugging percentage. The pitching has been up and down and while they are third in BAA, the team is just 15th in quality starts and 13th in ERA.
