Angels deal Logan O'Hoppe, Chase Silseth to Rangers ahead of trade deadline as struggles continue

The Los Angeles Angels’ sell-off appears to be starting.

>The Angels struck a deal to send both starting catcher Logan O’Hoppe and pitcher Chase Silseth to the Texas Rangers on Wednesday night, just days ahead of the Major League Baseball trade deadline. In return, they’ll acquire minor league infielder Angel Arredondo.

>The move was announced just minutes before the Angels and Houston Astros were set to start the third game of their three-game series in Anaheim. O’Hoppe, who started behind the plate in their 3-2 loss on Tuesday night, was not in the lineup ahead of time.

>O’Hoppe, 22, was in his fifth season with the Angels this summer. He currently holds a career-low .209 batting average with 23 RBI and four home runs this season. Silseth, also in his fifth campaign with the Angels, holds a 2.72 ERA and a 3-2 record in 47 games this season. The Rangers, at 55-53, hold just a narrow lead over the Astros in the AL West race and are vying for their first playoff trip since they won the World Series in 2023. O’Hoppe and Silseth, undoubtedly, should provide a solid boost for them in the back half of the year.

>Arredondo, 19, was not in the Rangers’ top 30 prospects. But he has held a .243 batting average and a .789 OPS with their Class-A affiliate, the Hickory Crawdads, so far this season.

>

>While it’s not the flashiest trade MLB fans will likely see before the deadline hits on Monday night, it’s a pretty good signal that the Angels are throwing in the towel on the season.

>The Angels entered Wednesday’s contest with a 42-66 record, which has them in last in the AL West race. They’ve lost seven of the 11 games out of the All-Star break, too, and are 13 games back from the Rangers in the division standings. Making a run to the postseason — something the franchise hasn’t accomplished since 2014, back when they were still called the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim — was looking like a longshot.

>Picking up Arredondo, who could end up helping them down the road if things pan out, is as good a sign as any that they are moving onto next season. We’ll see if any more moves come before Monday night.