Mandatory Credit: Robert Edwards-Imagn Images
*PREDICTION*
As the Los Angeles Angels go through the offseason, the focus for this team has to be on figuring out a way to move this franchise forward. Los Angeles has missed the playoffs for over a decade, with the last appearance coming during the 2015 MLB season.
The Angels have a few decent young players on the roster, but this team doesn’t have much else. The farm system is one of the worst in baseball, so there aren’t many options for them to improve the roster.
Los Angeles has been willing to spend money in free agency over the years, but the signings haven’t typically panned out too well. This has been another major issue for the Angels, and it has set the team back a few years.
Owner Arte Moreno has often been a reactionary person when it comes to the big signings, and there are those in the industry who see Los Angeles as a potential player this offseason. Mixing the fact that the Angels haven’t made the playoffs in a long time with the fact that the rival Los Angeles Dodgers have seen so much success, we could see the Angels make some moves.
The biggest priority for this team needs to be within the pitching staff, and this has been a problem for years. The Angels haven’t addressed this issue, and it has come back to hurt them quite often.
If this team wants to even be competitive next season, adding to the pitching staff will have to be the first set of moves to be made. Los Angeles can be aggressive in how they approaches things, and luckily for them, there are a few quality options available on the open market.
But due to the reputation that the Angels have built for themselves, it could force the team to have to overpay to land star free agents. However, the team still plays in a desired location, and with a few tweaks, maybe the Angels could find a way to break the long playoff drought.
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Los Angeles Angels Land Zac Gallen
One of the better options for the Angels to consider this offseason is veteran right-hander Zac Gallen. Gallen has spent the last few years with the Arizona Diamondbacks, mainly being the frontline starter for the Snakes.
If the Angels could sign someone like Gallen to the mix, it would give them more legitimacy in the starting rotation. Gallen has proven to be a quality arm in the big leagues, and he would instantly become the best pitcher on the roster.
Gallen proved that he could stay healthy this season, posting an ERA of 4.83 for the year. His second half of the season was much more productive than the first, putting up an ERA of 3.97 compared to his sky-high 5.40 ERA at first.
The big issue with the Angels’ signing Gallen is that Arizona placed a qualifying option on him, meaning that Los Angeles would have to send out a draft pick to get him. However, Gallen could be the missing piece to this pitching staff, so he could be worth it.
Los Angeles would likely be able to land him for a lower amount than the $210 million deal that Dylan Cease just signed with the Toronto Blue Jays. Cease is a better pitcher than Gallen, so the Angels could look to get a quality starter at a reasonable price.
Overall, the Angels are likely to sign one of the pitchers available on the open market, and Gallen could be the best one.