The Los Angeles Angels reverse course a month after being purchased at the trade deadline.
Rookie Lucas Giolito, relievers Matt Moore, Reynaldo Lopez, and Dominic Leon, and outfielders Hunter Renfrow and Randall Grichuk were all placed on waivers by the Angels. ESPN reported Tuesday. All six players could be claimed as early as Thursday as the Angels look to get below the luxury tax threshold.
[RELATED: Why the Angels put Lucas Giolito, deadline additions on waivers — and what happens next]
Waiver claim priority is based on reverse win percentage, so MLB’s worst teams will have the first opportunity to claim these players. They will likely end up with teams on the fringes of playoff contention, which are higher in the playoff pecking order than the best teams in the league.
Los Angeles acquired Giolito, Lopez and Grichuk before the August 1 trade deadline, sending a pair of top prospects to the White Sox in order to acquire Giolito and Lopez. But the Angels crashed after the deadline, losing seven straight games to go from three games behind a playoff spot to eight games back in the space of a week.
The Angels’ struggle continued through the month of August. They went 7-18 on the month, falling to 63-69 where they sit 11.5 games out of a playoff spot entering Tuesday.
Los Angeles also learned earlier in August that Shohei Ohtani suffered a torn knee joint in his elbow, ending his season on the mound. He’s continued to hit since then, but it wasn’t enough as the Angels made the moves with the hopes of Ohtani sticking around once he becomes a free agent this offseason. Additionally, Mike Trout was placed on the injured list again after being reactivated for two games last week.
Shohei Ohtani’s Torn Champions League, Ohtani’s Future, Angels Oversight, and more
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