The Los Angeles Angels gave up five of their projected top ten prospects in trades last July that brought bullpen help in the form of closer Huston Street and reliever Joe Thatcher.
This came after the Angels' had loss their first-round picks in 2012 and 2013 (due to the signings of Albert Pujols and Josh Hamilton), seemingly making a farm system that was ranked baseball's worst in 2013 and 2014 even more barren.
However, according to Mike Digiovanna of the Los Angeles Times, "even after shedding five of their better young players, the Angels are moving up. Thanks to a pair of off-season trades and a 2014 draft that netted several highly regarded pitchers, the Angels were ranked 27th — ahead of Baltimore, Atlanta and Detroit — in Baseball America's recently published 2015 prospect handbook. They also moved from 30th to 27th in ESPN.com's ranking."
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Pitchers Andrew Heaney and Nick Tropeano were both acquired in winter trades that sent Howie Kendrick and Hank Conger out of town. Adding those arms to pitchers Sean Newcomb, Joe Gatto and Chris Ellis, all 2014 draft picks, along with the acquistions of 20-year-old Cuban shortstop Robert Baldoquin and third-base prospect Kyle Kubitza, has brought about a sense of optimism about the Angels' farm system that hasn't been present the past couple years.
"It's a better system than it was before," said John Manuel, Baseball America's current editor-in-chief. "There are some positive signs."
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