When the Angels open their series with the A’s this weekend, it will look a lot like this:
Spider-Man pointing at Spider-Man proves 60's Spider-Man will never run out of meme material. https://t.co/DX3qq3q5Vb pic.twitter.com/RNxqCePuNn
— Know Your Meme (@knowyourmeme) July 12, 2017
Oakland is one of the worst seasons in recent MLB history. Through 132 games, the A’s are 38-94, the worst record in baseball. And they’re about to have company.
Per ESPN’s Jeff Passan, Los Angeles is having an “everything must go” sale as it punts on a 2023 wild-card berth and, more damning, likely a shot at retaining Shohei Ohtani.
BREAKING: The Los Angeles Angels have placed starter Lucas Giolito, relievers Matt Moore and Reynaldo López, and outfielders Hunter Renfroe and Randal Grichuk on waivers, sources tell ESPN. Huge potential playoff implications: All can be claimed by teams for free on Thursday.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) August 29, 2023
The team traded for pitchers Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez and outfielder Randal Grichuk at the deadline in an ill-advised pursuit of the playoffs.
The Angels set their franchise back years by not trading Ohtani for prospects at the trade deadline after they proved inept at building a winning team around him (and Mike Trout) for the past six seasons.
Instead, Los Angeles can look at Oakland to get a glimpse of its future.
The Angels finally realized what was clear a month ago — that they weren’t making the playoffs — far too late. The only question left is if Ohtani will be the only generational talent to leave this offseason.
Trout’s exit has to be on the table, too. He signed a massive 12-year, $430 million contract in 2019, and if the Angels are smart (which is doubtful), they’d shop him around for a massive package.
The Angles are closer to being the A’s than the Astros, and that’s with Trout. There’s absolutely no reason for him to waste the rest of his time in the pros playing for an awful organization.
Trading him would by no means help Los Angeles in the short term but could create a quicker pathway for the franchise back to relevance.
If they’re on the fence, all the Angels have to do is take a hard look at the A’s this weekend to see what’s in store for their future by maintaining the status quo.
The Angels are barreling toward an ugly end to this season and an even bleaker future afterward. It’s up to the front office to decide how long Los Angeles looks at the A’s and sees itself staring back.
