Angels' roster purge could net the Reds relief for the final month of the season

There were rumors swirling around the MLB trade deadline that the Cincinnati Reds were in the market for controllable starting pitching, but nothing ever materialized. The Reds, instead, decided to stand pat, and only added Sam Moll of the Oakland Athletics prior to the August 1st deadline.

The Los Angeles Angels, however, did the exact opposite. Desperate to keep their two-way star Shoehi Ohtani in LA for the foreseeable future, the Halos added Lucas Giolito, Randal Grichuk, and Reynaldo Lopez at the trade deadline.

The plan backfired. The Angels gave up a ton of prospects, but now sit 12.5 games back in the chase for the playoffs and are without former AL MVP Mike Trout. So, in the span of about 30 days, the Angels have done a complete 180.

Angels' roster purge could net the Reds relief for the final month of the season.

According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, Lucas Giolito, Randal Grichuk, Reynaldo Lopez, Hunter Renfroe, and Matt Moore have all been placed on waivers. This is basically a salary-dump on the part of the Angels, and will allow contending teams like the Cincinnati Reds to add some complementary players for the stretch run.

For those unfamiliar with how the waiver process works, teams who are interested in any of those players may submit a claim. The team with the worse record who submits a claim will then receive said player.

With 28 games to go, a gassed bullpen, struggling young hitters, and a starting rotation filled with first-year players who are pitching more than they ever have in their life, perhaps Reds GM Nick Krall should submit a claim or two.

Giolito has fallen on his face since arriving in LA, but the veteran hurler could at least give Cincinnati some much needed innings with pitchers like Andrew Abbott and Brandon Williamson obviously laboring at this point in the season.

The relief corps has been overworked for the better part of two months and could use a blow. Pitchers like Lopez and Moore would be able to contribute and help offer some semblence of relief to a bullpen that is utterly exhausted.

The hitting hadn't been a problem until recently. But, over the last 30 days, the Cincinnati Reds own an OPS of just .682. Only the Colorado Rockies and San Francisco Giants have worse numbers over the past month. That's where a bat like Grichuk or Renfroe could come in handy.

Of course, adding one of these players comes with the caveat of sacrificing one of your own. Are there a couple players with whom the Reds would be comfortable parting company in order to a starter like Lucas Giolito or a bat like Hunter Renfroe? That will be the driving force beyond these potential additions for the Reds.