Angels' Shocking Blockbuster Trade Proposal Sends 2 Key Players to AL West Rival

The Los Angeles Angels are sitting at three games under .500 with the All-Star Break just five games away.

Given the fact that they are four games out of the Wild Card spot, it is worth wondering if the Halos will fully commit to the current roster, or start making deals and replenish a farm system that is ranked last in baseball.

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A new trade idea from Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter has the Angels flipping southpaw Reid Detmers and outfielder Taylor Ward to the Houston Astros in exchange for outfielder Joseph Sullivan and right-hander A.J. Blubaugh, a pair of top-10 prospects in the Astros' system.

Sullivan is a 22-year-old prospect currently getting his reps in High-A. The outfielder is slashing .246/.423/.492 with an OPS of .915 through 70 games this season.

Blubaugh is a 25-year-old pitching prospect born on Independence Day who collected a total ERA of 3.71 last season across Double-A and Triple-A play. His ERA has grown to 6.62 this season through 70.2 Triple-A innings, and he even logged his first four innings in the majors towards the end of April.

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The return of the potential deal show promise, but parting ways with someone like Detmers could prove painful for Angels fans. The Halos have seen the powers of Detmers since 2021, including a no-hitter at Angel Stadium while he was still a rookie in 2022.

Detmers' ERA has ballooned to as high as 6.70 at the end of last season, but so far in 37 appearances, the 25-year-old has gotten things down to 3.79, earning the best ERA+ of his career so far at 111. If a deal were to present itself, perhaps Anaheim could look to get a slightly larger return for the improved Detmers who is exclusively coming out of the bullpen this season.

Ward is in the midst of a slightly down year, but is looking to end the first half of the season on a high note, batting .349 in his last 11 games with a 1.009 OPS.

While this move would be a surprise as it would signal the team giving up on an AL West title, it would be interesting to consider to start a semi-rebuild.

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