GM Minasian talks Deadline moves, playoff race, Trout's return

HOUSTON -- The Angels surprised many in baseball when they decided to go for it ahead of the Aug. 1 Trade Deadline, as they were still a few games out of the AL Wild Card picture.

But the Angels wanted to be aggressive with two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani set to be a free agent and with the club looking to make the postseason for the first time since 2014. They were declared winners by many publications at the Deadline, acquiring veterans such as Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo López, C.J. Cron, Randal Grichuk and Dominic Leone to bolster a roster that featured more than 15 players on the injured list.

The Angels, however, went on to lose on the day of the Trade Deadline, and it stretched into a seven-game skid at a tough time. They bounced back to win two straight over the Giants, but struggled in an 11-3 loss to the Astros in the series opener on Friday. They fell to 58-59 and trail the Blue Jays by 6 ½ games for the third and final AL Wild Card spot.

General manager Perry Minasian spoke on Friday for the first time since the Trade Deadline. He said he had no second thoughts about the moves he made and believes there’s still time for the Angels to get back in the race.

“We have 46 games left and I'm looking forward to seeing how we play over those 46,” Minasian said. “Obviously, we went through a stretch where we had some close games we just didn't win. I think the last two nights we won games against a really good team and hopefully that carries over.”

Minasian said he brought over veterans via trade who have postseason experience and had been part of pennant races because they know what it takes late in the season. Mike Moustakas, who was acquired from the Rockies on June 24, has also been a big boost for the club both on the field and in the clubhouse.

“There's a lot of baseball to be played, so we're going to put our best foot forward and I still believe in this team,” Minasian said. “When you look up and down the roster, what we currently have, there's been a lot of guys purposely who are veteran players who have been through pennant races and have experienced ups and downs that can help with a situation. This is a very motivated team and I think they’re up for the task.”

But making things more difficult is the fact the Angels are also behind the Mariners, Red Sox and Yankees in the standings, so they’d have to pass all of those clubs as well as the Blue Jays to get into the postseason. They also lost their season tiebreaker to Toronto, which also doesn’t help their cause.

After their loss to Houston, the Angels’ chance of making the postseason fell from 2.5 to 1.7 percent, per Fangraphs.com, but Minasian said it isn’t something he’s concerned about.

“It sounds cliché, but I’m big about worrying about today,” Minasian said. “As good as things are, that can change really quick. And as bad as things are, that can change really quick. We've seen that throughout the year, right? So for us, the most important thing is to understand how important today is and do what we need to do to win again.”

The Angels should get a boost soon with the returns of superstar Mike Trout and rookie catcher Logan O’Hoppe. Trout, who has been out since July 3 with a left hamate fracture, hit off a pitching machine on Friday and will rejoin the club as soon as he’s able to hit against velocity. And O’Hoppe, who has been out since April 20 with a torn labrum in his left shoulder, started a rehab assignment on Tuesday and should be back in a little more than two weeks.

“That's exciting,” Minasian said. “Those are obviously two really good names. Especially Mike. Mike changes the team. Those types of players will help.”

The final stretch of the year is also an important one for manager Phil Nevin, who signed a one-year deal before the season and doesn’t have a contract for 2024. Minasian, though, praised Nevin for the job he’s done so far.

“Phil has been great,” Minasian said. “Especially, going through what we've gone through, health-wise. For me, the most important thing as far as evaluating managers is respect. I think he has the utmost respect in that room with the effort that's been given day in and day out. It’s been outstanding.”