Angels and Diamondbacks talk Mark Trumbo trade
The Angels traded outfielder Mark Trumbo to the Arizona Diamondbacks as part of a three-team deal in exchange for Tyler Skaggs and Hector Santiago.
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- As reporters stood in a hallway waiting for Angels General Manager Jerry Dipoto, he suddenly appeared, walking with Arizona Diamondbacks General Manager Kevin Towers.
“I’ll call you later,” Towers said, walking away.
The Diamondbacks are in search of a power hitter, with pitching to spare. The Angels appear to be a good match, with Mark Trumbo as a possible corner outfielder in Arizona.
The Angels have two vacancies in the starting rotation, but they do not consider Tyler Skaggs enough of a return for Trumbo, and the Diamondbacks are less eager to move Wade Miley or Trevor Cahill. The minor league players that could balance any such trade could determine the likelihood of a deal.
The Angels would prefer not to trade Trumbo. But he hit 34 home runs last season, resulting in what Dipoto called “fairly heavy traffic” from other teams in search of pop. No free agent hit 30 home runs last season, and Trumbo would not be eligible for free agency until after the 2016 season.
Dipoto said Monday he could not yet say whether he saw a match with the Diamondbacks.
“Still trying to figure it out,” he said.
Dipoto said he is happy to talk to other teams about any player on his roster.
“Eveything is a conversation,” he said. “It’s just a matter of how long that conversation lasts.”
If the topic is Mike Trout, is the length of the conversation measured in minutes or seconds?
“Milliseconds,” Dipoto said.
The Angels have removed Ernesto Frieri from the closer role in each of his first two seasons in Anaheim. However, rather than acquire a proven closer, the Angels spent $15.75 million on free-agent setup man Joe Smith.
Frieri converted 23 of 26 save opportunities two years ago, with a 2.32 earned-run average. He converted 37 of 41 chances last year, with a 3.80 ERA.
“I think 60 saves over two years has proven he’s capable of pitching the ninth inning,” Dipoto said.
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