Angels 6-Player Trade Idea Revamps Farm System in Blockbuster Move

The Philadelphia Phillies lead the NL East at the All-Star break, and may look to drop prospects for win-now players heading into the trade deadline.

A Sportsnaut article believes the Los Angeles Angels could send over left-hander Reid Detmers and left fielder Taylor Ward to the Phils in exchange for four prospects: No. 3 outfielder Justin Crawford, No. 5 right-hander Mick Abel, No. 11 outfielder Gabriel Rincones Jr. and No. 17 left-hander Mavis Graves.

Crawford and Abel are also on the MLB's Top 100 prospects list at No. 48 and No. 86 respectively.

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The Phillies have a hole in left field, and are currently starting Max Kepler in the spot on a regular basis. Kepler has 10 homers and a .678 OPS this season through 85 games. Ward would be a massive improvement over Kepler, as he has more than double his home runs and an OPS nearly .100 higher at .765. Ward has provided a consistent bat for the Halos this season, and is on track to have an OPS+ above league average for the sixth consecutive season.

Detmers would be the third left-hander in the Phillies bullpen, and would arguably be the third option of the three. Matt Strahm and Tanner Banks have had great seasons so far, both posting ERAs below 3.50 and striking out a batter per inning or more.

Each player in the quartet is aged 24 or younger, and Abel has already played in MLB this season. He made six starts and posted a 5.04 ERA, though his ERA was just 2.21 after four of those outings. Crawford is just 21 and has a .839 OPS in Triple-A, and his teammate Rincones Jr. has a walk rate above 15 percent. Graves is currently in High-A with a 2-7 record and a 6.18 ERA, though he has 67 strikeouts through 51 innings this season.

While the Halos are in a playoff race, if this trade for one of their better power hitters came through it would be hard for them to say no. The Angels' fast track farm system has left them with awful options in the minor leagues, and a trade like this may be exactly what they need to get back on track.

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The Angels are four games out of the final Wild Card spot in the American League, and will absolutely want to hold onto their assets if they manage to draw closer than they are now. They'll return from the All-Star break looking to bring themselves closer to the playoffs, which they haven't sniffed since 2014. They play a three-game series against the Phillies after the All-Star break, beginning Friday at 3:45 p.m. PT.

For more Angels news, head over to Angels on SI.