Tyler Anderson Rumors: 5 Potential Trade Landing Spots for All-Star Lefty

Los Angeles Angels left-hander Tyler Anderson is one of the most difficult trade candidates to evaluate in advance of the July 30 deadline.

On one hand, Anderson is an All-Star for the second time in the last three seasons, having posted a 2.97 ERA across 19 starts this season for the Halos.

On the other hand, Anderson’s 4.42 expected ERA and and 4.60 FIP suggest that rather drastic regression could be in store in the second half of the season. And it’s hard to scoff at that when Anderson finished the 2023 season with a 5.43 ERA over 141 innings pitched.

Anderson is also in the second season of a three-year, $39 million contract. If he pitches how he did in the first half, that deal is a bargain. If Anderson regresses to the form he showed in 2023, the pact will be an albatross.

So it’s very possible there will be a wide variance in opinions on Anderson from pitching-needy teams in the coming weeks. Here are five clubs that could be fits for the 34-year-old lefty.

St. Louis Cardinals

Given president of baseball operations John Mozeliak’s recent tendency to acquire pitchers in their mid-30s, St. Louis makes perfect sense for Anderson.

In all seriousness, Anderson would bolster the Cardinals’ starting rotation for the remainder of this season, as they try to usurp the Milwaukee Brewers (more on them in a minute) and win the NL Central title. Sonny Gray would be the No. 1 starter in a potential postseason series for the Cardinals, but Anderson might immediately move in front of Kyle Gibson and Lance Lynn and become the favorite to start a Game 2.

Anderson would also give the Cardinals some certainty on what their rotation would look like in 2025 since he’s under contract for $13 million. His addition would likely mean that at least one of Gibson ($12 million) or Lynn ($11 million) has their 2025 club option declined.

Baltimore Orioles

The Orioles may be hopeful that they are able to retain All-Star Corbin Burnes beyond 2024, but they’ll likely have to make a $300 million+ commitment to do so. We’re not saying they won’t do that, but general manager Mike Elias should operate in the next few weeks like he may not have Burnes in 2025.

Adding to the starting rotation should be a major priority for the O’s. Burnes is about as good as it gets, and Grayson Rodriguez is having a tremendous season as well. Still, the Orioles need at least one more pitcher capable of starting in the postseason, and the way Anderson has pitched this season, he would fit that bill.

With Burnes a free agent after the season and Kyle Bradish likely out until at least the second half of the 2025 season as he recovers from Tommy John surgery, the Orioles would probably like to acquire a pitcher who is under contract for next season like Anderson.

Los Angeles Dodgers

The Dodgers organization is loaded with talent. But do they have one pitcher you feel certain will be healthy enough to take the mound in October? Perhaps Bobby Miller and Walker Buehler will get improved results, while Clayton Kershaw, Tyler Glasnow and Yoshinobu Yamamoto will return from the injured list and stay healthy. But outside of Gavin Stone, it’s hard to predict anything about their current crop of starters.

As noted above, Anderson was an All-Star for the Dodgers in 2021, going 15-5 with a 2.57 ERA across 178 2/3 innings pitched. He’s proven to be able to handle the bright lights that come with pitching for the Dodgers.

If the Dodgers acquire Anderson and all their other arms get healthy and he’s a bullpen option in the postseason, so be it. He would still be under contract through 2025. But there’s a very real chance the Dodgers could need Anderson to compete for the No. 1 seed in the NL playoffs, and to start once they get to October baseball.

Cleveland Guardians

The nicest way to describe the approach in Cleveland is that the organization is frugal. Others would altogether call owner Larry Dolan cheap. So it’s interesting to wonder how Cleveland would feel about Anderson’s contract — would they see it as team-friendly, or be scared off by the possibility he hits a wall in August and September and they are on the hook for $13 million next season?

One thing that’s certain is the Guardians probably need to add multiple starters if they hope to avoid an early postseason exit. First-year manager Stephen Vogt has done a tremendous job, but the lack of starting pitching depth is going to catch up with Cleveland, even if they have arguably the best bullpen in baseball.

Right now, Tanner Bibee would start Game 1 of a postseason series. And then who’s next? Ben Lively, who is having a career year at age 32, but is a journeyman that nearly set a career-high in innings pitched in the first half of the season. With former AL Cy Young Award winner Shane Bieber lost for the season with Tommy John, president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti needs to acquire a starter, if not multiple.

Milwaukee Brewers

Speaking of teams currently leading their division that probably need to land two starters before the July 30 trade deadline, we present the Brewers.

With Burnes traded to Baltimore in February and Brandon Woodruff out for the season, Freddy Peralta has been thrust into being the team’s ace, and has a 4.11 ERA and 3.69 FIP to show at the All-Star Break. Milwaukee needs Peralta to be even better in the second half, but still needs to add more.

Veteran Colin Rea is having a career-year, but has already logged 105 innings after pitching 124 2/3 frames the entire season last year. Rookie Tobias Myers looks like a possible building block for Milwaukee’s starting rotation, but the Brewers have to be cautious with how much they push his workload this year.

Acquiring Anderson and getting All-Star closer Devin Williams back from injury would bolster manager Pat Murphy’s pitching staff in a big way. It would also set the Brewers up to have a really solid rotation in 2025 when they get Woodruff back.