The Los Angeles Angels are looking strong this season, and should be one of the teams looking to make some trades, or some good pick-ups to make a run in the postseason. Currently the Angels are 49-36, and trail the Athletics in the AL West by 3.5 games.
If you look at their roster and stats, It seems starting pitchers is where the team needs the most help. Obviously the rotation is not terrible considering their record; and they have some young guns like Matt Shoemaker who is 6-2 this year and has thrown 60 strikeouts over 60 innings, and Garrett Richards at 9-2 on the season so far, with a 2.81 ERA. But not every pitcher that they put on the mound this year has done as great. Take Hector Santiago for instance, currently sitting at 0-7 on the year.
Luckily for the Angels there are some potential trade targets out there that could solve their pitching issues.
Like David Price, from the Tampa Bay Rays. Many teams are interested in acquiring the talented left hander, and the Angels have been interested for a long time.
Price was the 2012 Cy Young Award winner, and at 29, He still has plenty of years left as a top-tier starter. Currently he is 7-7, with 153 Ks over 131 innings for the last place Rays.
It's doubtful the Angels would part with Richards, after he has gotten off to such a great start. He has been regarded as a potential ace since being drafted in 2009, and if they let him go they will be back to essentially the same position they are in now. It's likely they will try to put some deal together, maybe one that includes Shoemaker. If they want to keep up with the Athletics, who just picked up starting pitchers Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel from the Chicago Cubs, they have to make a deal for a pitcher of Price's quality.
Los Angeles management better know that teams that can pull in players like Price this time of year, are the ones that normally keep playing come September/October. The Athletics clearly understand.
