After months of speculation about what the Los Angeles Angels would do at the trade deadline, they made their position clear on Wednesday.

L.A. first announced they would not be trading superstar Shohei Ohtani and then bolstered their pitching staff by acquiring Lucas Giolito from the Chicago White Sox.

Let's break down the betting impact before diving into the specifics of the trade and what it means for Los Angeles going forward.

MLB odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.

Betting Impact

While the Angels certainly bolstered their chances of making a push into the playoffs by retaining Ohtani and trading for Giolito, they're still a longshot to make any significant postseason noise.

Their odds dropped, but considering L.A. is just 52-49 and 7.0 games back in the AL West, they are certainly long shots going forward.

Still, they're only 4.0 games back of the wild card. At +600 to make the playoffs, the Angels would be a real value if Ohtani and Giolito can propel them to a late-season push.

Terms of the Deal

The Angels sent C Edgar Quero and LHP Ky Bush to Chicago in exchange for Giolito and RHP Reynaldo Lopez.

Giolito instantly jumps near the top of Los Angeles' rotation. He's made 21 starts this season for the White Sox, going 6-6 with a 3.79 ERA and a 25.8% strikeout rate. Giolito is slated to become a free agent this offseason and could command up to $20 million a year.

As for Lopez, he's been a serviceable middle-inning reliever in 2023. In 43 appearances, he owns a 4.29 ERA and 29.2% strikeout rate.

On the White Sox side of the deal, Quero and Bush instantly become two of their five best overall prospects. They previously were the No. 2 and No. 3 prospects in Los Angeles' farm system, according to MLB Pipeline.

Quero is a switch-hitting catcher whose best tool is his bat. He's made it up to Double-A this season where he's batting .246.

Bush, too, made it up to Double-A this season. His fastball tops out at 97 mph, but his best pitch is a low-80s slider. Through six starts in Double-A, he owned a 5.88 ERA.

Both prospects are not expected to reach the Majors until 2025.

2023 Ramifications

This trade was a long time coming for the White Sox, who are now 12.5 games back in the division and own a 41-62 record.

Los Angeles making this deal wasn't surprising after they announced they were no longer listening to offers for Ohtani. By keeping Ohtani and acquiring Giolito, they have given themselves a real shot at the playoffs.

Pitching was clearly a position of need for the Angels. Prior to the trade, the Angels ranked just 18th with a team starter ERA of 4.62. Getting a righty made a lot of sense, too, considering they already have a trio of southpaws in Tyler Anderson, Patrick Sandoval, and Reid Detmers.

Although the Angels are currently out of the playoff picture, they have the best record in baseball since the All-Star break at 7-3. They still have some work to do if they want to want to make their first playoff appearance since 2014, but keeping Ohtani and adding Giolito is certainly a step toward snapping that drought.

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