The Yankees have scouted Angels games recently, to be prepared in case the Angels pivot and become sellers, sources told MLB.com.
While Major League games are heavily scouted at this time of year, a possible trade match between the Yankees and Angels is noteworthy for a couple reasons:
-- The Yankees, looking for starting pitchers in a relatively thin market, would have interest in Angels left-handers Tyler Skaggs and Andrew Heaney if they become available.
-- Angels general manager Billy Eppler likely would be comfortable working on a trade with Yankees GM Brian Cashman, given their years working together in the Yankees front office. And Eppler, who left the Yankees for the Angels less than three years ago, has close knowledge of the prospects he'd be acquiring in that scenario.
The Angels, beset by a rash of injuries, have fallen to fourth in the American League West. They were tied for the division lead as late as May 14 but are 23-31 since.
One significant factor in the Angels' approach to the July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline: If they fail to reach the postseason this year, they will have only two more chances to pursue a title before Michael Trout is eligible to become a free agent following the 2020 season. The Angels have no interest in starting a rebuild with Trout in his prime. As a result, they likely would need to receive multiple MLB-ready players in order to trade Heaney or Skaggs.