Let’s try one with Nick Pivetta, a player the organization reportedly wouldn’t move for Machado, going to the west coast for Trout.
We’re stacking up the Angels return just a bit here by adding Alfaro and swapping out some of the other top prospects.
Hernandez makes sense for the Angeles just as much as Franco given their age, controllability, and impressive hot streaks at the plate. The second baseman Hernandez knows how to get on base and he’s still young enough at 28 for the Angels to build with.
Pivetta has really impressive stuff, and his strikeout numbers this year are historic. Currently his season rate of 10.676 strikeouts per nine innings is second in team history behind Curt Schilling’s 1997 campaign when he averaged 11.288 per nine and finished fourth in the Cy Young.
Alfaro fills the Angels major hole at catcher, and we covered what moving him would mean for Philadelphia. It likely means the return of Wilson Ramos and Knapp being behind the plate as the backup. Again, would the organization move a catcher with few good young catchers not just in the organization, but in baseball? Unless they pry J.T. Realumto from the Marlins, which would take another hefty haul, there aren’t many to pick from.
De Los Santos got a taste of the big leagues this year after a tremendous first season in the organization following the Freddy Galvis trade with San Diego. The righty has a 2.63 ERA in 22 Triple-A starts this year and he showed flashes in two major league starts.
Maton has played most of this season at shortstop for the BlueClaws while hitting 26 doubles, five triples, and eight home runs. Drafted in the seventh round in 2017 he’s just 21-years-old and could be in Double-A for LA next year.