Angels place 5 players on waivers following miserable stretch after trade deadline: report

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The Los Angeles Angels opted to take impending free agent Shohei Ohtani off the trade market and become buyers at the trade deadline. Roughly a month later, they are waving the white flag.

The Angels on Tuesday reportedly placed starter Lucas Giolito, relievers Matt Moore and Reynaldo López and outfielders Hunter Renfroe and Randal Grichuk on waivers. 

Giolito, Lopez and Grichuk were all deadline acquisitions.

Los Angeles was 52-49 and 3½ games out of a wild-card spot when it announced it was holding onto Ohtani and risking losing him for nothing and making a big splash for Giolito to try to snap a postseason drought. The Angels went into a tailspin as soon as the trade deadline passed.

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Lucas Giolito of the Los Angeles Angels after allowing a two-run home run to Trea Turner of the Philadelphia Phillies in the bottom of the fifth inning at Citizens Bank Park Aug. 28, 2023, in Philadelphia. (Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)

Since deadline day (Aug. 1), the Angels are 7-18, tied with the Colorado Rockies for the worst record in baseball. Their postseason hopes are essentially over. They are 11½ games out of a playoff spot with a 63-69 record.

The season has gone from bad to worse for the Angels. It was revealed last week Shohei Ohtani, who underwent Tommy John surgery in late 2018, had a torn UCL in his throwing elbow. He has continued to hit, but he is done pitching for the rest of the season. 

And Mike Trout is back on the injured list after briefly being activated.

Angel Stadium of Anaheim prior to a game between the Los Angeles Angels and the Seattle Mariners June 10, 2023, in Anaheim,