When it comes to Angels pitching, it’s hard to find many positives at this early juncture. Yusei Kikuchi has been less ace and more mid-rotation starter. Jose Soriano has been very up and down. Jack Kochanowicz may have won the fifth starter spot, but how long he’ll hold on to it is an open question. Kyle Hendricks has more or less looked cooked. Meanwhile, the bullpen has provided the struggling rotation no support.
Perhaps lost in the shuffle of mediocrity has been the performance of Tyler Anderson. While most everyone has struggled, the crafty lefty has shone through his first seven starts, posting a 2.68 ERA over 40.1 innings pitched.
The strong start to 2025 is the latest development in a late-career blossoming for the 35-year-old. Anderson didn’t debut until he turned 26, and through his first five seasons, he struggled to take the mound consistently and perform, topping 30 starts just twice and posting an ERA under 4.00 just once, coming in his rookie year.
Since then, however, Anderson has been an All-Star two of the last three seasons and looks to be on his way to another selection this year. A free agent at the end of the season, he’s also been a popular name in trade rumors dating back to last year’s trade deadline.
Whispers again have started to grow that Anderson could be a prime trade candidate once again at this year’s deadline, with projections as to possible landing spots starting to pop up just before the start of this season.
The Angels would be wise to trade Tyler Anderson well before the trade deadline
A case has been made that teams should start making deals earlier in the season, especially if their status as a contender or pretender is solidified. While in some cases, that might mean waving the white flag as a proposed Jorge Soler trade would suggest, moving Anderson would just be a smart baseball decision.
For starters, Anderson likely won’t be re-signed, so unlike Soler, the Angels have to move him in order to get anything of value in return. But why move him now rather than in July, when most trades of consequence are made?
The answer to that question has to do with the landscape around the league, as well as Anderson’s own recent history.
Multiple teams with World Series aspirations have sustained significant injuries to their rotations. The crosstown Dodgers have been decimated at the top of their rotation with Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow hitting the injured list for the foreseeable future.
The New York Yankees lost ace Gerrit Cole to Tommy John surgery in spring training, and have also seen the likes of last year’s AL Rookie of the Year Luis Gil, Clarke Schmidt, and Marcus Stroman miss time with injury while their rotation has been held together with duct tape, and until recently, Carlos Carrasco.
The Chicago Cubs lost ace Justin Steele for the season, and now will also be without Shota Imanaga for a while. The New York Mets have made it work with the likes of Griffin Canning and Tylor Megill turning in unexpected performances, but have been without key free-agent signees Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas all season.
All of those teams understand that games won in May and June are just as important as those won in August and September if they want to reach the mountain top at the end of October. After all, you can’t dance without an invitation, and competition in those divisions can be fierce.
Meanwhile, Tyler Anderson’s recent track record may indicate that he may be in for a second-half swoon. Last season, the veteran posted a sparkling 2.97 ERA in the first half, and then pitched to a horrifying 5.43 mark down the stretch.
By moving Anderson now, the Angels would capitalize on his value and take advantage of some panicked contenders who may be willing to overpay. Some of those teams may have their eyes on bigger prizes come the end of July, but for now would also benefit greatly from the stability that Anderson can provide in the middle of a rotation.
If Perry Minasian is smart, he should be on the phone constantly, trying to play these clubs off each other and hoping that one makes an emotional decision and delivers an overpay. Typically, the market heats up at the peak of summer, but for Anderson, the hottest chase for his services could be now.
