ANAHEIM, Calif. -- There are buyers and there are sellers, and then there are the Angels.
The MLB trade deadline passed on Thursday afternoon, and amid all the deadline chaos, the Angels came through with just two trades made. After the deadline passed, general manager Perry Minasian spoke to reporters over a Zoom call.
Here’s what you need to know from the Angels' trade deadline:
THE TRADES
The Angels made their first trade the morning before the deadline, acquiring relievers Andrew Chafin and Luis García from the Washington Nationals for left-handed pitcher Jake Eder and first baseman Sam Brown.
Chafin, a crafty left-hander, has a 2.70 ERA in 20 innings pitched and generates success by getting batters to chase out of the zone to get weak contact. The 35-year-old’s primary pitch is his slider, which plays a part in his 32.7% chase rate to get that weak contact.
“To bring in Andrew Chafin, who's been there and done that, only enhances the makeup of the group,” Minasian said. “(He) understands what it's like to pitch in meaningful games, what it's like to prepare and pitch two days in a row, three days in a row, durability, all those things were really, really important to us. And not only will they be welcomed additions on the field but they'll be very important off the field, too.”
García rejoins the Angels for his third tour of duty (2019 and 2024), possessing a 4.10 ERA in 37.1 innings pitched this year. The 38-year-old right-hander used his power sinker that sits at 96.7 miles per hour to generate a ton of ground balls.
“To bring back a Luis García, who's not only very productive from a pitching standpoint but what he brings makeup-wise, the durability he brings, the toughness he brings,” Minasian said. “We loved him last year. Obviously, to bring him back was very appealing.”
The morning of the deadline, the Angels acquired infielder Oswald Peraza from the New York Yankees in exchange for Wilberson De Pena and international bonus pool money. Peraza, 25, has struggled mightily in his four stints in the big leagues after once being a top-100 prospect in baseball.
Peraza is currently hitting .152 with a .452 OPS in 71 games this year, but is a well-above-average defender. He mostly plays third base, though he’s played second and shortstop before in the big leagues.
Minasian labeled Peraza as a “classic change of scenery guy,” and this was a great opportunity to take a chance on a player with talent. He also admitted that this move was party made because of Yoán Moncada’s inability to stay healthy.
“Obviously that’s part of it,” Minsasian said. “You look at everything. Peraza’s versatility and control and age obviously were a more significant part of that. His ability to defend at third base, historically, what he’s done at the minor league level with the bat, there’s a lot of things to point to that felt like it was an intriguing player to take a look at.”
WHY SO QUIET?
Heading into deadline day, the Angels sat three games under .500 and four games out of the last playoff spot, with four teams ahead of them in the wild card standings. Minasian and company hemmed and hawed at the idea of buying or selling, but at the end of the day, they stood pat.
The Angels had multiple expiring contracts that they could have sold off, but they’ve all struggled this year besides closer Kenley Jansen. Outfielder Taylor Ward was another name that generated trade rumors as someone with another year of control, but this year’s market didn’t see promising enough returns for outfielders to entice the Angels' front office.
At the end of the day, Minasian had two reasons why he decided to keep a low profile at the deadline. The first reason is the group of guys in the clubhouse.
“Looking at the club and where we currently are, and obviously, we're very competitive, ‘why don't we keep this group together?’” Minasian said. “It's a really good mix. It's the best clubhouse I've had in the five years I've been here. The players would tell you the same thing.”
The second reason is the development of the young core already in place.
“Being competitive in August and September is really, really important for this group,” Minasian said. “Not only for the now but for the future. Playing meaningful games, understanding there's an expectation to win, showing up to the ballpark every day feeling like you have a chance to win over a six-month period.
“It's hard to quantify, but I felt like it was very, very important for this group to go through that and to see what playing in August and what playing in September is like, with the amount of want to and the experience around them, will only benefit going forward.”
A team that’s three games under .500 and possesses a 3.5% chance to make the playoffs, according to FanGraphs, isn’t normally a team that’s poised to compete down the stretch. But Minasian noted how there are players he expects to come back from injury to help the team.
“We explored everything,” Minasian said. “We explored buying, we explored selling, all those things. At the end of the day, we were able to acquire two relievers that we like, that will help the bullpen. That will give us some length on the bullpen as far as the number of bodies. We've got (Robert) Stevenson coming back here hopefully soon. We've got (Christian) Moore coming back here hopefully soon. We've got (Jorge) Soler coming back here hopefully soon.”