The Los Angeles Angels weren’t going to wait for the calendar to flip to July before making a move, trading their own disappointing closer, Ernesto Frieri, to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for another disappointing closer, Jason Grilli, toward the end of June.
But the Angels still have some holes to fill if they hope to remain in contention for both the American League West and one of the two available wild-card spots, with the bullpen remaining a work in progress that could be altered at any time.
While the club doesn’t have the high-end prospects needed to land a front-line starting pitcher like Tampa Bay‘s David Price or Chicago’s Jeff Samardzija, it does have an owner with deep pockets in Arte Moreno and a penchant for disregarding salary if it means improving his team’s chances of winning (see the Albert Pujols and Josh Hamilton free-agent signings for proof).
Bleacher Report will be bringing you the most up-to-the-minute rumblings about the Angels, along with analysis and everything else that comes with it. While the post date on this tracker will always show up as July 1, simply click to the next slide to see the latest from the rumor mill as the Halos look to bolster their roster for the stretch run.