The Los Angeles Angels host the Milwaukee Brewers this weekend, with plenty of players potentially on the move.
The Los Angeles Angels are in trade mode, and Jose Soriano will make yet another showcase start tomorrow night with the Milwaukee Brewers coming to town for a three-game series. The Brewers are in the middle of all kinds of trade rumors to acquire starting pitching, so Soriano will be the featured attraction in this one.
Beyond that, this series could be an even bigger mismatch than it looks like in the standings. The Angels come in tied for the worst record in baseball with the Colorado Rockies at 42-67, while the Brewers are in a nip-and-tuck battle with the Los Angeles Dodgers for the best record in baseball at 67-41.
Tonight’s game could get especially ugly. The Angels will offer yet another edition of the Ryan Johnson adventure as his series of tryouts to make the rotation continues.
The last chapter was bad and then some, as Johnson gave up eight runs in 3-1/3 innings against the San Francisco Giants. Before that, though, Johnson was on a bit of a roll, as he had four straight starts where he gave up three runs or less.
Soriano has been strong as his effort to escape from Anaheim continues. He’s coming into this one with five straight starts in which he’s given up three runs or less, but the question going into the weekend is whether interim GM John Mozeliak is willing to pull the trigger on a big trade.
Other Angels could be on the move as well. Outfielder Jo Adell and DH Jorge Soler are waiting in the wings as trade chips, and it’s almost certain that one of them will be leaving Anaheim by Monday at the latest.
Beyond that, Soriano is considered one of the Angels “big three,” with starter Reid Detmers and shortstop Zach Neto as the Halos other two trade pieces. A Neto trade is less likely, but Detmers is almost certain to be moved given that he’s one of the major targets in a market for starters that’s very thin.
The Brewers will certainly be well-positioned if they do make a trade with the Angels. They’ve been playing rather indifferent .500 level baseball lately, and they’re in a tough position trying to build momentum when they already have 5.5 game lead over the Chicago Cubs in the NL Central. This would be a forgettable series were it not for the trade deadline, which could make it a fascinating exercise in player movement.
