MLB rumors: Angels could be sleeper team at winter meetings as Mike Trout moves two years away from free agency
The Halos reported made runs at Patrick Corbin and Nathan Eovaldi
By
Mike Axisa
•
2 min read
The clock is ticking for the Los Angeles Angels. Mike Trout is two seasons away from free agency, and while the club will surely try to sign him long-term, they can't assume he'll be back until he puts pen to paper. The Halos have only played three postseason games, all losses, in Trout's seven full seasons.
It is no surprise then that, as a result of their Trout-induced urgency, the Angels are trying to be aggressive so far this offseason. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports the Angels made quiet runs at free-agent hurlers Patrick Corbin and Nathan Eovaldi, only to watch them sign elsewhere. Here are some more details from Rosenthal:
Upgrades to the rotation will be necessary if the team is serious about returning to contention behind perennial MVP candidate Mike Trout ... The Angels, who opened last season with a club-record $166.6 million payroll, currently project to $140.6 million, according to Cot's Baseball Contracts.
For what it's worth, FanGraphs currently projects the Angels to be right in the mix for the second AL Wild Card spot in 2019, alongside the Rays and Athletics. Given their place on the win curve, every win GM Billy Eppler adds to the roster this offseason will dramatically increase their odds of reaching the postseason for the first time since 2014 and only the second time since 2009.
The Angels went 80-82 with a minus-1 run differential this past season and already they've lost Garrett Richards, who is rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, to free agency and non-tendered Blake Parker and Matt Shoemaker. Also, they won't have Shohei Ohtani as a pitcher next year as he rehabs from Tommy John surgery. Here is the club's rotation depth chart:
- LHP Andrew Heaney
- LHP Tyler Skaggs
- RHP Jaime Barria
- RHP Felix Pena
- RHP Nick Tropeano
- LHP Dillon Peters
There is a clear need for another starter there and maybe even two starters given Tropeano's home run issues (1.9 HR/9 in 2019) and Barria's and Pena's general lack of track record (265 1/3 MLB innings combined). Free-agent starters like J.A. Happ and Dallas Keuchel remain available, and while they're not Corbin or Eovaldi, they would be upgrades.
Beyond the rotation, the Angels also need help at second base and behind the plate, as well as in the bullpen. Eppler might have more needs than he could reasonably address in one offseason, especially if owner Arte Moreno does not approve a payroll increase in 2019. Unloading Kole Calhoun and at least part of the $11.5 million he's owed next season would help, though that's easier said than done.
Although they made plays for Corbin and Eovaldi, the Angels may be best served focusing on lower-cost free agents and addressing as many roster needs as possible. Catcher Wilson Ramos, second baseman Asdrubal Cabrera, starters Matt Harvey and Charlie Morton, and relievers Cody Allen and Joakim Soria may all be available for nothing more than a two-year contract and could make sense for the Halos, though that is only my speculation.
Either way, Eppler and the Angels are undoubtedly starting to feel some pressure to win knowing Trout is two years away from free agency. He's said he loves Anaheim and would like to stay there long-term, but, if the Angels miss the postseason again in 2019 and 2020, Trout would surely feel some temptation to sign with a no-doubt contender.
