3 trade targets for the Colorado Rockies from the Los Angeles Angels

The Los Angeles Angels are a bad team. They had a record of 77-85 in 2021 but take away Shohei Ohtani, Anthony Rendon, and Mike Trout and, believe it or not, the Angels in 2021 were unequivocally worse than the Colorado Rockies.

Entering the lockout, the Angels did make some moves to better themselves like sign reliever Aaron Loup and sign starters Noah Syndergaard and Michael Lorenzen. That still doesn’t negate the fact that they have an awful team.

Rockies fans, if you think the Rockies don’t have depth, check out the Angels depth chart. The Angels are worse.

To contend in 2022, though, the Angels do have an easier path. First of all, they have shown that they are willing to spend money. They haven’t spent it well in recent years but they have spent money. Secondly, they are in a weaker division than the Colorado Rockies. The Houston Astros are the kings of the American League West but the rest of the division is wide open.

The Seattle Mariners were a contending team in 2021 but if their win-loss differential is any indication, they will regress in 2021.

The Texas Rangers spent half of a billion dollars on Corey Seager and Marcus Semien but outside of Jon Gray, they have a pitching staff that most Triple-A teams wouldn’t be happy with.

The Oakland A’s let Bob Melvin go to San Diego for literally nothing. They always exceed expectations but when expectations are nothing for 2022, that’s not a high bar.

So the Angels, if they make a few moves, could get a Wild Card spot, especially if playoff spots are added for 2022.

However, there are three players on the Los Angeles Angels’ 40-man roster that, realistically, could be part of a trade to the Colorado Rockies.

Los Angeles Angels reliever Junior Guerra could help the Colorado Rockies bullpen

Junior Guerra did not have a good first season with the Los Angeles Angels in 2021 but if his recent past suggests anything, Guerra could help the Colorado Rockies bullpen.

In 2021, Guerra, who turns 37 next month, appeared in 41 games (one start) and had an ERA of 6.06 (ERA+ of 74). However, his FIP suggests that he was the victim of some bad luck as it was more than a full run lower than his ERA at 4.75. He had both an elevated hit rate (more than a hit per inning) and an elevated walk rate (6.3 BB/9), which is why his WHIP was so high (1.73) and his high ERA.

However, since he became a full-time reliever in 2019, he has shown that he can be better. In 2019 and 2020, he combined to appear in 97 games and he had a 3.44 ERA with an ERA+ of 130 and a WHIP of 1.174.

Among relievers with at least 100 innings pitched from 2019 through 2021, he has a groundball rate of 45.9 percent, which is slightly above league average. That signifies that he could be a decent pitcher at Coors Field. In 2021, the Rockies reliever (minimum 40 innings pitched) with the highest groundball rate was Lucas Gilbreath, who was at 45.9 percent. In 2021, Guerra was at 47.2.

So if Guerra had some more control and got his hit rate down, he could be a good reliever for the Rockies.

Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Patrick Sandoval could help the Colorado Rockies rotation

The Los Angeles Angels have struggled in the starting pitching department in the last decade-plus but in 2021, they got a good season from Patrick Sandoval, who could also help the Colorado Rockies rotation.

Sandoval, 25, was drafted by the Houston Astros but was traded to the Angels in 2018 for Martín Maldonado. He made his MLB debut for the Angels in 2019 and struggled as he had an ERA of 5.03 in 10 appearances (nine starts) due to a high hit and walk rate. In 2020, the walk rate dropped but the home run rate and hit rate went higher, leading to a 5.65 ERA in nine games (six starts).

However, he was much better in 2021 when he wasn’t injured (he had a back injury that cost him some time). He appeared in 17 games (14 starts) and he had an ERA of 3.62 (124 ERA+). He had a FIP of 4.03, a WHIP of 1.207, a hit rate that dropped by more than 20 percent, a home run rate that dropped by more than half, and an increased strikeout rate.

Additionally, in each of the last two seasons, Sandoval’s groundball rate has been above 51 percent, meaning that he could be good in Coors Field. For comparison, since 2019, Antonio Senzatela’s groundball rate is 52.1 percent and in the top ten in that span and he (and the other Rockies starters with a high groundball rate) have pitched well at Coors Field.

Sandoval isn’t even arbitration-eligible yet so the Angels, with their lack of pitching, are unlikely to trade him but he is somebody that the Colorado Rockies should keep their eye on.

Next in our trade target series is the Oakland A’s as we continue through the American League West.