OC Register: Free-agent pitchers the Angels could target as the Winter Meetings begin

[AngelsWin.com]

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — While much of the news made by the Angels over the past month involved hiring Manager Ron Washington and his staff, they now begin the Winter Meetings looking to what’s most important.

Adding some new players.

So far this winter left-hander Adam Kolarek is the only player the Angels have added to the 40-man roster, leaving plenty of work for General Manager Perry Minasian as he looks to build a team to end their nine-year playoff drought.

Pitching is obviously the focus.

The Angels aren’t going to be able to trade for any sort of impact pitcher like Dylan Cease or Corbin Burnes because their farm system has been depleted. A deal like that would probably mean giving up someone like Reid Detmers or Chase Silseth, plus other prospects.

That leaves free agency.

The Angels are currently approximately $73 million short of the luxury tax threshold of $237 million, according to Roster Resource at FanGraphs.

The Angels bumped up against the luxury tax last season – we still don’t know officially if they surpassed it – but owner Arte Moreno definitely showed a willingness to go over it for a chance to contend. The Angels were over before they fell out of the race and unloaded some salaries on waivers.

If they’re going to sign two-way star Shohei Ohtani, he would obviously eat up a large chunk of their remaining payroll space. Although the Angels’ chances of re-signing Ohtani shouldn’t be dismissed entirely, for now, let’s assume that they won’t get him back.

Even if they did re-sign Ohtani, he wouldn’t be able to help their pitching staff in 2024 anyway, because he’s rehabbing from elbow surgery.

Here’s a look at some of the free-agent pitchers – starters and relievers – who make the most sense for the Angels. Bear in mind that the Angels might need to overpay for any of these pitchers to lure them away from teams that seem to be more likely to contend. (Ages are as of June 30 next season. The estimated cost is for 2024 only.)

RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto, age 25: Yamamoto is widely considered the top pitcher available. He had a 1.82 ERA over seven years in Japan, with 9.3 strikeouts per nine innings. He won the Japanese version of the Cy Young Award and the Pacific League MVP Award each of the last three years. He is also coming to the majors at a younger age than most Japanese pitchers, making him an even more attractive commodity. If there’s any reason for concern, it’s that he’s only 5-foot-10, and short right-handers traditionally haven’t been big winners in MLB. Cost: $25M-$28M.

LHP Blake Snell, age 31: Snell is a two-time Cy Young Award winner, including taking the award in 2023, so he’s the top current major leaguer available. Snell had a 2.25 ERA in 180 innings last season. He did issue a major-league high 99 walks, though. Cost: $25M-$28M.

LHP Jordan Montgomery, age 31: Montgomery helped the Texas Rangers to the World Series title after a midseason trade from the St. Louis Cardinals. Without much fanfare, Montgomery has strung together three straight seasons with 30 starts and an ERA below 4.00. Gerrit Cole of the New York Yankees and Kevin Gausman of the Toronto Blue Jays are the only other two pitchers in the majors who did that. Cost: $20M-$23M.

LHP Eduardo Rodriguez, age 31: Rodriguez bounced back nicely from missing much of the 2022 season with a personal issue. He posted a 3.30 ERA in 152⅔ innings with the Detroit Tigers. That was his best season since 2019. Rodriguez vetoed a trade to the Dodgers last summer, so it’s fair to wonder if he’d be interested in signing with a West Coast team now. Cost: $17M-$20M.

RHP Marcus Stroman, age 33: Stroman had a 3.95 ERA in 136⅔ innings with the Chicago Cubs last season, although he finished poorly. He had three bad starts in July and then missed a month with right hip and rib injuries, before coming back for eight innings in September. He then chose to opt out of his $21 million deal with the Cubs for 2024. Cost: $20M-$23M.

RHP Michael Wacha, age 32: Wacha certainly doesn’t qualify as a potential top-of-the-rotation starter, but he could offer some good value and depth for a rotation. He’s made at least 23 starts each of the past three years, with an ERA of 3.84. That includes a 3.27 mark over the past two years. He missed five weeks with shoulder inflammation last summer, which could be concerning, but he returned in August and had a 3.88 ERA over his last nine starts. Cost: $10-13M.

Related Articles

• Los Angeles Angels |
  Report: Angels retain Ray Montgomery as bench coach
• Los Angeles Angels |
  Shohei Ohtani honored as baseball’s top DH for 3rd straight season
• Los Angeles Angels |
  Angels to hire Steve Karsay as bullpen coach
• Los Angeles Angels |
  Angels sign lefty Adam Kolarek
• Los Angeles Angels |
  Hoornstra: What entry-level pro baseball job descriptions can tell us

LHP Josh Hader, age 30: Hader is the best reliever on the market, and he figures to get paid accordingly. A five-time All-Star, Hader had a 1.28 ERA and 33 saves last season with the Padres. He’s posted a 2.50 ERA over his career. Steve Karsay, who will reportedly be hired as the Angels’ bullpen coach, was the Brewers’ bullpen coach during three of Hader’s seasons in Milwaukee. Although Carlos Estévez was good enough for most of the year to warrant keeping his closer job, an addition of Hader’s caliber would make it a no-brainer to move Estévez to the eighth inning. Cost: $16M-$20M.

RHP Jordan Hicks, age 27: The second-best reliever on the market, Hicks is especially attractive because of his age. He was very good in his first two years, then sat out during the pandemic in 2020 and struggled for two years before coming back strong in 2023, posting a 3.29 ERA with 11.1 strikeouts per nine innings. Hicks has been a setup man, so the Angels certainly wouldn’t be tied to him closing if he wasn’t pitching as well as Estévez. Cost: $7M-$10M.

LHP Will Smith, age 34: Obviously, everyone in baseball ought to want Smith. He’s been on the World Series-winning team three years in a row. Besides that, he pitched pretty well last year, with 55 strikeouts and 17 walks in 57⅓ innings. He also recorded 22 saves. His 4.40 ERA was deceptive because he had a WHIP of just 1.06. Also, Minasian was the Braves’ assistant GM when Smith signed with Atlanta in 2019. Washington was on the coaching staff for both of Smith’s seasons in Atlanta, in 2020 and 2021. Cost: $4M-$6M.

View the full article

[BTH]

Do we have any idea what level of pitching the Angels are shopping in?

It’s been 12 years since they spent big on a starting pitcher in free agency.

Is this the year that changes or is it just like the other 11 years?

Edited December 3, 2023 by BTH

[Angels 1961]

One pitcher not mentioned much had a 3.3 war last year and be cheaper than many TOR is Mike Clevinger

[Robrock30]

Seth Lugo is the pitcher to sign IMO. Successful as a SP, middle reliever and closer.  What's not to like?

I will post his Mom's Twitter which documents his successes.  You decide.

 

 

[Pancake Bear]

4 hours ago, BTH said:

Do we have any idea what level of pitching the Angels are shopping in?

It’s been 12 years since they spent big on a starting pitcher in free agency.

Is this the year that changes or is it just like the other 11 years?

They've made some competitive bids, but are yet to actually do what is necessary to bring in a real impact pitcher. 

[Erstad Grit]

On 12/3/2023 at 1:57 PM, Robrock30 said:

Seth Lugo is the pitcher to sign IMO. Successful as a SP, middle reliever and closer.  What's not to like?

I will post his Mom's Twitter which documents his successes.  You decide.

 

 

I thought Lugo would be a great bargain sleeper FA but it appears many teams are in on him. 

[Angelsjunky]

I really don't see how this team improves by re-signing Ohtani. That eats up, what, $50M of the $73M? Is the remaining $23M enough to sign at least one starter and plug other holes (gross)? 

I've said that my personal preference is that the Angels go a bit more modest in free agency and instead allocate those funds towards improving the farm system. But I doubt that happens. Assuming that Arte wants to compete now, I think the best route is going hard after Yamamoto or Snell, adding a depth starter, a good reliever, and maybe a couple bench guys.

[totdprods]

I’ve just kinda figured if the Halos did re-sign Ohtani, that deal is almost independent of what the rest of the payroll expectations would be. Basically the ‘special player’ Arte has spoken of.

Obviously it is still a very real contract with very real tax and payroll implications, but I would assume if it did happen, at least initially, our expectation of what the Angels’ payroll would be would go out the window. Doesn’t mean he’s gonna sign every FA and go Steve Cohen, but there would be some new deviation from the spending norm. Might just be they go heavy on 1-yr deals this year and maybe next, or at least until Rendon is off the books.

 

[Robrock30]

13 hours ago, Erstad Grit said:

I thought Lugo would be a great bargain sleeper FA but it appears many teams are in on him. 

He is well worth the three year commitment he is seeking.  How can he disappoint with a supportive Mom in his corner?

[Robrock30]

2 hours ago, Angelsjunky said:

I really don't see how this team improves by re-signing Ohtani. That eats up, what, $50M of the $73M? Is the remaining $23M enough to sign at least one starter and plug other holes (gross)? 

I've said that my personal preference is that the Angels go a bit more modest in free agency and instead allocate those funds towards improving the farm system. But I doubt that happens. Assuming that Arte wants to compete now, I think the best route is going hard after Yamamoto or Snell, adding a depth starter, a good reliever, and maybe a couple bench guys.

Ohtani sells merchandise and media so besides his Babe Ruth talents the investment yields profits.

[Angelsjunky]

6 minutes ago, Robrock30 said:

Ohtani sells merchandise and media so besides his Babe Ruth talents the investment yields profits.

I understand that, from a business perspective, Ohtani is worth it. And of course I'd love to see him hitting bombs for the Angels for the next decade. But...as a fan, I only care about the business part to the degree that it impacts wins and losses. 

[Angels 1961]

35 minutes ago, Angelsjunky said:

I understand that, from a business perspective, Ohtani is worth it. And of course I'd love to see him hitting bombs for the Angels for the next decade. But...as a fan, I only care about the business part to the degree that it impacts wins and losses. 

I agree with win and losses part. I'm also would hate to see some 550 million contract for Ohtani. I also do not know what Arte and Perry plan to try and fill out roster if they sign Ohtani. Angels roster now has 3 promising but unproven players they are counting on. The OF also with question marks. This is Arte's team and his money so if he wants to spend 600 mill or whatever it takes to try and keep Ohtani it's his right. Arte has a chance to resign the most talented player ever to play this game. I would think Arte and most Angel fans would hate to see him in Dodger blue. Hopefully baseball fans find out soon.

[Angelsjunky]

3 hours ago, Angels 1961 said:

I agree with win and losses part. I'm also would hate to see some 550 million contract for Ohtani. I also do not know what Arte and Perry plan to try and fill out roster if they sign Ohtani. Angels roster now has 3 promising but unproven players they are counting on. The OF also with question marks. This is Arte's team and his money so if he wants to spend 600 mill or whatever it takes to try and keep Ohtani it's his right. Arte has a chance to resign the most talented player ever to play this game. I would think Arte and most Angel fans would hate to see him in Dodger blue. Hopefully baseball fans find out soon.

That contract is exactly it. I think it makes the Angels worse long and mid-term, and maybe even short term (by allocating about two-thirds of this year's funds on one player, and a DH for that matter). 

If the Angels want to win now, Snell and Stroman are probably more valuable for the Angels than Ohtani alone in 2024.

[Angels 1961]

6 minutes ago, Angelsjunky said:

That contract is exactly it. I think it makes the Angels worse long and mid-term, and maybe even short term (by allocating about two-thirds of this year's funds on one player, and a DH for that matter). 

If the Angels want to win now, Snell and Stroman are probably more valuable for the Angels than Ohtani alone in 2024.

If you take a look at this roster Angels need a year or two development of younger players. You cannot count on Trout or Rendon and without them lineup is very weak. I think Ohtani see this and would have very little protection in this lineup. Ohani is very smart and meeting in secret with teams is driving up the price. Nobody really knows if he will be able to pitch again. Two TJS and he is not getting younger.

[Angelsjunky]

5 minutes ago, Angels 1961 said:

If you take a look at this roster Angels need a year or two development of younger players. You cannot count on Trout or Rendon and without them lineup is very weak. I think Ohtani see this and would have very little protection in this lineup. Ohani is very smart and meeting in secret with teams is driving up the price. Nobody really knows if he will be able to pitch again. Two TJS and he is not getting younger.

Yup. He's just another arm tweak and a bit of normal decline from being a $50M DH who hits .260 with 35 HR in a few years.

Of course he could also win the MVP and CY award in 2025.