Hello Angel fans,

This is that kid from Montana, who few thought had good ideas last Spring and many thought I should take a hike. It’s no big deal though, because I'm 15 and my favorite baseball team can't get much worse. And being the baseball lover that I am, I continue to play GM in my head. I love to do it and sometimes I think a certain trade could work. Some may say that I should graduate high school before I write these things, but I could say trade for a scrub minor league player and he might be able to hit better than Carlos Perez.

What I’d openly say is "we suck so bad, that it wouldn't matter what we did…" ...aside from trading Trout. So, since I've only watched about 15 Angel games this year (or less) I know that it is time to be a seller and hit the market.

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We need to enter this trade deadline with the idea of gaining solid prospects in return and unloading any player that might be out of their prime by, say, 2019. Yes, we might have to wait for two more years, but it's not as long as Cubs fans had to wait. Theo Epstein said "Give me five years." ...and he has done it in three to four. It might even be a gift if we are contenders by 2019 considering how bad our farm system is.

So with nothing else to say about how bad we are, here is a plan moving toward the 2016 MLB trade deadline for the Angels.

Step 1: Stop going to games and buying 8-10$ beers. In other words, if we boycott games Arte might just leave and Krispy Kreme’s #1 shareholder Mike Scioscia might just get fired.

Step 2: Don't bring Skaggs up too quick, and have Richards and Heaney have Tommy John Surgery.

Since the Angels should have no plans of contending until 2019 there would be no point in trying to rush Skaggs back up. We don't want to make things worse for him and therefore, make things worse for us.

Don't be upset about having Richards and Heaney have TJ Surgery. There has not been many pitchers who do the rehab and then not end up having the surgery eventually. If that happened, it would take longer and I think we want sooner rather than later. We have no plans of going anywhere for 2-3 more years, so I think the Angels should move them towards surgery, because they are the ones under contract and it might just benefit their physical state as well.

Step 3: Trade Hector Santiago (LHP), Matt Shoemaker (RHP), and Joe Smith (RHP) to the LA Dodgers. Jose de Leon (RHP), Alex Verdugo (OF), Cody Bellinger (1B), and Zach Lee (RHP) to the LA Angels.

Some may be upset about trading Matt Shoemaker, but if you are check out the trading Matt Shoemaker article also in Halos Heaven. The Dodgers have the best farm system in baseball. And they have the deepest pockets in baseball because their owners actually like baseball. Isn't that right Arte? The Dodgers would probably like to add another arm to the rotation as they push toward the playoffs and it would give them a fourth solid or above, proven starter.

They also need bullpen arms. Joe Smith is becoming a free agent this offseason and he would be a grand upgrade in the Dodgers bullpen. Santiago is also a proven major leaguer. He would probably fit in as a long reliever and an emergency starter. Another upgrade to the Dodgers bullpen.

These are very decent prospects indeed that the Angels would get in return. According to minorleaguebaseball.com De Leon is the Dodgers #2 prospect behind Urias, with Verdugo #3 behind De Leon. Bellinger is #5, and Lee is #13. This is just within the Dodgers system and not all of baseball. Pitching prospects are always good, an outfield prospect is not too bad considering we have no left fielder, and first base won't be needed anytime soon, but a good prospect is a good prospect.

De Leon is 23 and in Triple-A now. He could be ready sometime next year. In 2015 he combined for 2.99 ERA with 163/37 K/BB in 114 innings between High-A and Double-A.

Verdugo is 20 and in Double-A now. Could be ready by 2018 depending upon how the next few years go. In 2015 he hit .295/.325/.394 in 421 at-bats in Low-A then .385/.406/.659 in 91 at-bats in High-A.

Bellinger will be 21 in July and is in Double-A. He would be ready by 2019, but I think this is probably a player the Angels could use in a trade later because we have a first baseman. In 2015 he hit .264/.336/.538 with 30 homers, 103 RBI, 52 walks, 150 strikeouts in 478 at-bats in High-A.

Lee is 24, 6’4" and 225 lbs and has been to the bigs this year. He has master Triple-A this year much like Urias but is still waiting for a full time spot on the big club. In 2015, in Triple-A, 2.70 ERA with 81/19 K/BB in 113 innings, and gave up 107 hits.

This trade would help the Angels farm system and help the Dodgers with their pitching problems.

Step 4: Trade Yunel Escobar (3B) to the Red Sox. Anderson Espinosa (RHP) to the LA Angels.

Escobar has been a steal for the Angels. Over .300 BA and the best BA on the team.

But since he is good and we suck, that means he is trade bait. He is 33, so he could be on more of a down side than an upside. But a contender in need of a third baseman should be looking at him. The Red Sox would love him vs Travis Shaw. Shaw has been decent with a .270 BA but they can be better.

Anderson Espinosa is from Venezuela and he is 17. In 2015 he posted a 1.23 ERA with 65/14 K/BB in 58 innings between Dominican Summer League, Gulf Coast League, and one start in Low-A, 41 hits allowed, zero homers. According to the analysts at minorleaguebaseball.com he has a teriffic arm, can hit upper-90s with an easy, smooth delivery, already shows impressive curveball and change-up, throws strikes, mature mound presence. He has the potential to be a number one starter once he proves what kind of workload he can manage. Could very well be top pitching prospect in baseball 10 months from now.

Not too Shabby.

Some may say to trade Kole Calhoun, but I believe that he can only get better in the next few years and that he will help in 2019.

This, of course, is done by a 15 year old from Montana. It might work, it might not. But it's what I came up with in three hours while in the car driving to a baseball tournament.

Hopefully you see a bright side to this and that it would only help the Angels down the road.

Thank you for reading and I hope you like the idea.