LA Angels Trade Scenarios: 5 Potential Targets That Just Make Sense

The Los Angeles Angels just finished up a rather pedestrian week. The team has lost five of its past eight ballgames. While they are still in second place in the down AL West, the Angels have a negative run differential on the year and are six and a half games in back of the first-place Houston Astros.

Things could be worse, but Los Angeles needs a boost to jump start some areas of its game. This franchise wants to compete for a championship right now. At this point, the team is developing clear weaknesses that may need to be addressed through outside means.

The minor leagues are filled with good, young arms for LA. These players can serve two purposes. They can obviously be called up to supply bullpen help or spot starts in the majors. Some, such as Andrew Heaney, may also be ready for full-time starts at some point this season.

The other thing a wealth of pitching prospects is good for is supplying a pool of players to trade from. All teams like pitching depth throughout their organizations. If the Angels use this to their advantage, they may be able to steal useful major leaguers who can help them make a run at the playoffs this year.

Ben Zobrist

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Ben Zobrist is the perfect trade target for the Angels. He would be even better if he wasn't currently sidelined with a knee injury. But the veteran utility man is expected back this week, plenty of time to get back into the flow before the July 31st trade deadline approaches.

His versatility is key. Zobrist is capable of playing second base and corner outfield, the two spots LA needs help at the most. He is also a switch-hitter, adding even more flexibility to his usage.

The Athletics, Zobrist's current team, have the worst record in the American League. They will surely be looking to dump the elder statesman for a young prospect of any kind. He will be just a rental, though, as his contract is up after the 2015 season. That should lessen the price tag from Anaheim's side.

Ben Revere

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If there's any big statistical hole on the Angels' offense, it's a lack of speed. The entire team has two speed threats: Erick Aybar and Mike Trout. Outside of those two, no one is making a battery worry about the running game, let alone stealing 20 bags this year.

If Anaheim was able to insert speed into its lineup while also bringing in a bat who can play left field, it would be a match made in heaven. Ben Revere fills both those columns.

LA's left field production is not pretty. In fact, it's gruesome, to the tune of a .171 batting average in nearly 150 at-bats. Most of that is Matt Joyce and Collin Cowgill, a platoon that hasn't found its punch from either side.

Revere will do nothing to insert pop into the lineup, but LA has gone this long with getting nothing from the position at all. At least Revere has a skillset that never falters. He hits singles and steals second.

Shin-Soo Choo

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The price for Shin-Soo Choo would have been much lower before his bat ignited these past few weeks. He was a very good player for years in Cleveland and one season in Cincinnati. Last year in Texas, though, was an unmitigated disaster for the outfielder, and things started off just as rocky this season.

Choo finally looks like his old self at the plate here recently.

After finishing April with a nearly impossible five total base hits, Choo collected a hit in 14 consecutive games to begin the month of May. He is batting well over .300 this month, getting on base and crushing the ball again.

At his peak, Choo was a great on-base guy capable of hitting atop a batting order. He still possesses solid speed and power and would be an immediate upgrade for LA in left field.

Despite the Rangers being only a game and a half behind Los Angeles in the West standings, they aren't going anywhere this season and would be elated to rid themselves of Choo's contract. If LA is willing to throw in a piece for Texas, it may even be able to pull off something approaching a reverse of the trade it made with Josh Hamilton.

Perhaps because it's the Rangers (again), this deal is unlikely, but the rest of the particulars make this a swell match.

A.J. Pierzynski

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The Atlanta Braves, despite their solid record so far this year, are in full rebuild mode. A.J. Pierzynski is 38 years old and on his fifth team in the last four years. The fact that he's batting over .280 doesn't slide the needle much for Atlanta.

It does make him an intriguing target for Anaheim, though, a team desperate for another option behind the plate.

Thus far, the Angels have relied on Chris Iannetta, with spot starts from Carlos Perez and Drew Butera. The catching position has delivered a .191 season batting average in 141 at-bats. No one has been the answer. Pierzynski's simply adequate production is a huge step up from that and should cost next to nothing to acquire.

Kyle Lohse

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LA's starting pitching has been spotty, but that was almost to be expected entering the season. Of course, if the lineup isn't able to pick it up and approach the levels it was at last season, the team could always benefit from adding depth to its rotation with experienced arms.

While Kyle Lohse is another retread type with poor numbers thus far in 2015, he is the epitome of a trade-deadline acquisition. He plays for a bad team and is up in age, so he supplies no long-term value for the Brewers. He has also proven previously, though, that he's a capable major-league pitcher. In fact, his recent starts have shown he still has quite a bit of game left.

Lohse is 2-0 with a 23-to-7 strikeout-to-walk rate in May. His ERA has come down nearly two full runs from where it stood at the end of April.

He is no longer viable as a staff ace, but LA already has one of those. Lohse is an inexpensive piece in the final year of his contract who can mesh the back end of a rotation.