The Los Angeles Angels placed starter Lucas Giolito and four other players on waivers Tuesday, per league sources. Here’s what you need to know:
- The Angels acquired Giolito, a former All-Star with the Chicago White Sox, on July 27 for two of Los Angeles’ top prospects.
- Los Angeles also put relievers Matt Moore and Reynaldo López and outfielders Hunter Renfroe and Randal Grichuk on waivers. Grichuk was also a trade deadline acquisition.
- Since making a slew of moves at the trade deadline to contend for a playoff spot, the Angels have gone 8-19 and are 12 1/2 games out of the wild card.
The Athletic’s instant analysis:
Why are the Angels waiving them now?
This is a pretty unprecedented move by the Angels. It’s possible that it will get them below the luxury tax, which would be a strong motivation to make moves like this. But this does nothing to help the Angels on the field or in the future. The team took a massive trade deadline risk and it all failed epically.
Now, owner Arte Moreno will recoup some money as the team plays out the string without a strong roster. — Blum
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What this means for the players
It could be argued this is good news for the players placed on waivers. And for the contending teams that will get to make a claim. They’ll all likely get a shot to be added to contending teams before the Sept. 1 deadline to be postseason eligible.
It certainly shakes up the sport and creates an interesting dynamic in the post-deadline portion of the season. It’s likely that all the players will be of interest. — Blum
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MLB waivers explained: How Angels’ salary dump could alter pennant race
Backstory
In the final year of Shohei Ohtani’s contract, the Angels made a push at the trade deadline to snap their nine-year playoff drought. In a series of trades, the team acquired Giolito and López in exchange for Ky Bush and Edgar Quero, while former All-Star C.J. Cron and Grichuk were acquired for Mason Albright and Jake Madden.
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The Angels signed Moore and Renfroe in the offseason.
Ohtani did not make the playoffs in his five prior seasons with Los Angeles, despite winning American League MVP in 2021 and finishing runner-up in 2022, when he also finished in fourth place for Cy Young Award voting.
Required reading
- The Angels have many issues. Manager Phil Nevin isn’t one of them: Blum
- Angels endure another listless loss as Shohei Ohtani exits start with arm fatigue
- Angels pitching was supposed to be a strength, but it’s at the root of their struggles
(Photo: Kiyoshi Mio / USA Today)