Jim Bowden didn’t mince words. The former MLB GM absolutely blasted the Los Angeles Angels’ decision to trade Logan O’Hoppe and Chase Silseth to the Texas Rangers, flat out calling it “the worst trade” of the entire deadline. Forget subtle critiques, Bowden saw this deal as an absolute blunder, and when you dig into the details, it’s hard to argue with him.
This Wasn’t Just Bad, It Was Reportedly The “Worst”
The Angels were unexpected sellers at the deadline, which is wild enough. They shipped out a bunch of players who still had club control beyond 2026, like Jose Soriano, Ryan Zeferjahn, and Jo Adell. For *those* guys, they actually got some solid returns. But their very first major move before the deadline? That’s the one Bowden torched. The exact details he cited? “Worst trade… Los Angeles Angels trade RHP Chase Silseth and C Logan O’Hoppe to the Texas Rangers for INF Angel Arredondo.” Angel Arredondo! Most organizations apparently saw Arredondo as either a “fringe prospect or an org player.” Seriously, for *two* players, including a solid arm and a catcher, that’s all they pulled in? Bowden was right, the Angels should have been able to get a much better return for Silseth and O’Hoppe.
Silseth Alone Should Have Landed a Haul
Let’s talk about Chase Silseth for a second. This wasn’t some journeyman rental. He’s a 26-year-old reliever who was under club control through 2030. That’s *years* of control! Before this trade, he was rocking a 2.72 ERA over 47 appearances with the Angels. A reliable arm with that much team control should have netted them a fairly decent prospect, at minimum, just for him. To get such a paltry return for both Silseth *and* O’Hoppe was genuinely shocking. While other teams like the Detroit Tigers (Tarik Skubal deal) and the Baltimore Orioles (Taylor Ward and Adley Rutschman trades) faced some heat for their deadline moves, Bowden made it clear: this Angels-Rangers swap was arguably the absolute worst of the bunch.
The only way this makes sense is if the Angels saw something in Arredondo that literally no one else in baseball did. Otherwise, this deal is shaping up to be a major, long-term mistake, especially since they handed two valuable pieces to an AL West rival in the Texas Rangers. What a complete head-scratcher! If it comes back to bite them, well, don’t say Bowden didn’t warn them.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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