For the second time in two days, the Los Angeles Angels traded for a veteran infielder to help cover for all their injuries. The Halos acquired Mike Moustakas from the Colorado Rockies for minor-league righty Connor Van Scoyoc, the team announced Saturday night. The move came not long after the Angels trounched the Rockies 25-1. Moustakas only has to change clubhouses Sunday.
On Friday the Angels acquired Eduardo Escobar from the New York Mets for two minor-league pitchers. The Escobar and Moustakas trades come at a time when the Halos have been hit hard by injuries, and also some underperformance. Here's what the Angels are dealing with:
SS Zach Neto: Strained oblique (yet to resume baseball activities)3B Anthony Rendon: Wrist contusion (played catch Saturday)IF Gio Urshela: Broken pelvis (likely out for the season)1B Jared Walsh: Demoted to Triple-A (hitting .119/.244/.224)Moustakas, 34, made the Rockies as a non-roster invitee to spring training. He's hitting .270/.360/.435 with four home runs this year, including .318/.400/.418 away from Coors Field. Moustakas has played primarily first base for Colorado -- first base has been a problem for the Angels all season -- though he could fill in at third base should the Angels need.
"We'll mix and match and work it out," Angels manager Phil Nevin told the Associated Press following the trade. "This week the lineup hasn't had the depth we have had all season. We feel like we have that now."
Clearly, the Angels are making a push for the postseason in Shohei Ohtani's final season before free agency. In addition to the Escobar and Moustakas trades, they've aggressively called up their best prospects, include Neto (2022 first-round pick) and righties Sam Bachman (2021 first-round pick) and Ben Joyce (2022 fourth-round pick). I would assume the Angels aren't done yet.
Saturday's blowout win at Coors Field improved Anaheim to 42-36 on the season. They are six games behind the Texas Rangers in the AL West and are tied with the Toronto Blue Jays for the third and final American League wild-card spot. The Angels have not been to the postseason since 2014. It is baseball's longest postseason drought.
As for the Rockies, Saturday's loss dropped them to 30-49, the third-worst record in baseball. The Moustakas trade clears a full-time roster spot for first baseman Michael Toglia, a 2019 first-round pick, so the trade represents something of a youth movement.
The Cincinnati Reds released Moustakas in January and owe him $22 million in 2023 minus the $720,000 league minimum. The Angels are only on the hook for the prorated portion of the minimum.
Van Scoyoc, 23, has a 2.76 ERA in 62 innings at High Class-A this season. Baseball America did not rank him among the Angels' top 30 prospects prior to the trade.
