The trade market had been quiet since the Dodgers acquisition of Hanley Ramirez, but that is no longer the case. Jon Morosi and Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports first broke news that the Angels had acquired Zack Greinke from the Brewers. That news was later confirmed by the Angels on their Twitter page.
#Angels acquire RHP Zack Greinke from Brewers in exchange for INF Jean Segura, RHP Ariel Pena and RHP Johnny Hellweg. #tradedeadline
— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) July 28, 2012
What it means for fantasy owners?
The immediate implications for Greinke’s fantasy owners are good. Greinke already sports a cool 9-3 record with a 3.44 ERA, 1.203 WHIP, and 122 strikeouts in 123 innings. Getting out of the National League Central certainly won’t hurt any of those numbers. The Angels are also a better team than the Brewers, so I would look for that already strong winning percentage to stay there.
In a nutshell, if you have Greinke on your team, raise a glass, because this is a good move. Still, this move will continue to pick up signifcance as the next few days go by.
For one, look for the Rangers to make a counter. While they have a comfortable lead in the AL West, they are inferior in pitching to both the A’s and Angels, at least as it relates to depth. Colby Lewis is out for the year and Yu Darvish is going beyond the length of the Japanese season.
While Doug Padilla of ESPN Chicago did report that Matt Garza will be shut down until after the deadline, I wouldn’t rule out the possibility of the Rangers trying to go for him. Teammate Ryan Dempster is already a name that’s been tossed about as it relates to the Dodgers and Braves. Now, I would expect to at least hear rumors about Texas being interested. While we’re on the subject, the Phillies are going to need to clear cap space, and the Rangers already know that Cliff Lee can pitch in Texas. I am not saying that any of those moves will happen, but they are names I would look out for over the next few days.
Also, keep in mind that the Angels aren’t just competing with the Rangers for the division. The A’s are also in the hunt, and both Anaheim and Oakland are competing with nearly the entire American League for the two Wild Card spots. As this stand now, the Angels are in the top position. Look for these teams to try to make a counter.
This is a fantasy site, but things like this impact fantasy. With Jered Weaver, C.J. Wilson, and now Greinke, the Angels are a team that’s built against prolonged losing streaks, and the rest of the American League knows this. Look for some of those teams to make some noise. If those teams succeed in making big trades, your fantasy teams are going to look a little different, even if the names are the same. Stay tuned.
