Dodgers fans woke up on Monday still celebrating their prize in getting Mookie Betts, David Price, and more through trades. Angels fans, on the other hand, woke up to some bad news. As it turns out, the Angels’ owner pulled the trade with Los Angeles over his own frustrations.
More on #Angels–#Dodgers, from sources: LAA’s Moreno grew impatient, pulled deal. Might have revived, but LAD saw it as unneccesary after other two trades changed. Outside chance gets revisited. Per @billplunkettoc, LAD needs to drop two from 40-man before trades become official.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) February 10, 2020
Having been held in limbo for almost an entire week, Arte Moreno must have felt he was being disrespected by the Dodgers. The deal would have sent Joc Pederson, Ross Stripling, and Andy Pages down to Anaheim in exchange for Luis Rengifo and at least one prospect.
Moreno was not the only one who was not amused by the Dodgers’ willingness to wait out the Betts’ trade. Tony Clark, the executive director for the MLBPA, let the teams know through an official statement that the delay was not fair to any of the players involved. Justin Turner was also not too happy with the way players’ lives were being affected.
Moreno ordered the Angels to pull out of the agreement with the Dodgers, sources told The Athletic. The Dodgers could have given the Angels a chance to rethink their decision, but they viewed the previously agreed upon Angels deal as unnecessary after the trades with Boston and Minnesota changed, effectively killing the trade themselves.- Fabian Ardaya via The Athletic
The Dodgers could still conceivably come to a deal with the Angels, but that may be tougher to accomplish now. After all, hell hath no fury like an owner scorned. Anaheim still is in desperate need of pitching though, and Ross Stripling is an ideal candidate to fill that massive void. Joc Pederson seemed to be more of a luxury than anything in their current lineup.
The Dodgers need to cut back their 40-man roster from 42 players as it stands after adding players this weekend. The 40-man needs to be set when the trade becomes official, so moves should be coming soon.
While that makes trades more desirable, that does not mean that will be the route they take. The Dodgers could also look to DFA Dylan Floro and Tyler White among others.
