ANAHEIM – It’s Perry Minasian’s day to shine. The general manager of the Los Angeles Angels has revealed that he put one over on the cross-SoCal Dodgers, sending them a nonexistent player in exchange for a handful of current and budding stars. 

The player in question was named Miguel Santangelo, and the Angels billed him as a 26-year-old utility infielder who had been on the injured list for a few months with a shoulder issue but had been tearing it up lately in AAA. In 19 rehab games, Santangelo had slugged 14 home runs, the Angels said, while also owning a batting average of .323 and an RBI count of 31. As well, he was said to have above average speed and be a whiz on defense.

For good measure, Minasian included (the real) pitcher Tyler Anderson in the trade. The left-hander is a free agent at the end of the season and is owed $6 million for the rest of this season.

The Dodgers, with so many of their roster on the IL, made the trade in good faith, agreeing to send to the Angels pitchers Tony Gonsolin and Gavin Stone, both on the IL, and outfielder prospect Zyhir Hope, himself having a comeback season of sorts.

Andrew Friedman, the Dodgers’ president of baseball operations, confirmed that he had been hoodwinked, citing the intense nature of the Trade Deadline. Friedman said that Minasian had told him that Santangelo was part of the Angels’ future and that he would be reluctant to part with him. When asked for footage of the nonexistent slugger, Minasian reportedly said that the team couldn’t find it but would send it along in a week or so, once the trade talk had died down.