Angels Eye $13.5 Million All-Star Pitcher in Potential Trade Blockbuster
The Los Angeles Angels are emerging as unexpected buyers at this year’s trade deadline, continuing to surprise as they fight for a postseason spot against the odds.
Currently just one game under .500 and 4 games behind in the AL Wild Card race, the Angels have a real shot at snapping their 10-year playoff drought, the longest active streak in MLB.
If they decide to make a move to strengthen their roster, the Orange County Register reports that they could target a veteran starting pitcher like Arizona Diamondbacks All-Star Zac Gallen.
The Angels are short a starter after optioning Jack Kochanowicz to Triple-A before the All-Star break, and they’ve yet to replace him. Ryan Zeferjahn filled in as an opener during the team’s July 18 win, but for the Angels to stay in serious contention, adding another arm is essential.
Gallen is one of the top arms available, and with the Diamondbacks likely to move him before the deadline due to his contract year and Arizona’s slim playoff hopes in the ultra-competitive NL West, he could be a target for the Angels.
While Gallen has struggled this season with a 5.40 ERA and 21 home runs allowed through 20 starts, he has a strong track record from 2022-2024, where he was one of the best starters in the National League. In 2022, he posted a stellar 2.54 ERA, leading the NL with a 0.913 WHIP and all of MLB with 5.9 hits per nine innings. Over the following two seasons, his ERA hovered around 3.50, and he made his first All-Star appearance in 2023.
This season, Gallen has shown flashes of his former self, including a dominant 13-strikeout performance in 6.2 shutout innings against the New York Yankees in April. Apart from a rough outing against the Angels on July 12, he has allowed just one earned run in his other starts this month, suggesting he could return to form with a change of scenery.
Acquiring Gallen would be a bold statement from the Angels, signaling their determination to end their playoff drought. Their next challenge comes in a three-game series against the NL East-leading New York Mets, starting Monday at 4:10 p.m. PT.
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