Los Angeles Angels general manager Perry Minisian reportedly has substantial financial resources for MLB free agency.
The Angels have never hesitated to invest in their roster, but their choices about which players to bring in have led them to waste money in the market.
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Signings like Anthony Rendon have set the franchise back quite a bit, but his deal is finally coming off the books after this upcoming season, which will allow them to start moving on from past mistakes.
This winter, according to MLB insider Jeff Passan, the Angels are expected to spend big and upgrade their pitching staff.
“The Angels could be big spenders this winter, one source familiar with their plans said, and while most of those resources will go toward the pitching staff, they could beef up a barren farm system,” Passan wrote in a story on ESPN.
Los Angeles has already traded for right-handed pitcher Grayson Rodriguez, dealing Taylor Ward in the process to help alleviate their glut of outfielders and improve their starting rotation with a promising arm that has good stuff and was once a highly-touted prospect.
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The trade frees up around $13 million in salary, allowing for more flexibility. Rodriguez has injury concerns, and injured pitchers have long been a problem for the Angels, but the front office believes that Rodriguez offers tantalizing potential and can help the team’s free agency plans.
“The more flexibility, the better,” Minasian said in a press conference, via Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register.
“That was discussed too. It’s not only acquiring somebody we feel like can impact the rotation, but freeing up some money to maybe get into areas where we wouldn’t have been able to before.”
The current pool of free agents does not include a guaranteed ace pitcher, but there are many arms that have shown the potential to be at the top of the rotation.
Dylan Cease, Framber Valdez, Ranger Suarez, Michael King, and Zac Gallen stand out as pitchers who have consistently performed well for years and have seasons that have been All-Star caliber.
Cease was an ace not long ago, but his inconsistent command has led to him being downgraded, yet he still has an electric slider that can generate swings and misses.
Valdez has been a great asset for the Astros, something the Angels have seen firsthand in the American League West division.
Either of these starters would give the rotation and pitching staff a needed boost and could help finally end their playoff drought.
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