1 major wrench in roster building could allow the Angels to profit this offseason

With the Angels preparing for the offseason, fans are still waiting to find out who will be guiding the clubhouse next season. While Perry Minasian is returning there is still a complete lack of direction in Anaheim between him and owner Arte Moreno, especially with manager right now. However, it’s never too early to look into how the offseason will play out, and a huge part of that is the qualifying offer. 

Qualifying offers are a staple of the offseason -- teams are allowed to offer one would-be free agent a qualifying offer (reportedly valued at ~$22 million this off season), and in return receive draft pick compensation if that player signs elsewhere. Adversely, the organization signing another team’s qualifying offer recipient forfeits draft pick compensation. Players are given a ten day window to accept the offer, otherwise they hit the open market. 

1 major wrench in roster building could allow the Angels to profit this offseason

The top guys are all likely to receive one: Kyle Tucker, Alex Bregman (if he opts out), Framber Valdez, Bo Bichette, and one of Kyle Schwarber or Ranger Suárez of the Philadelphia Phillies. Cody Bellinger, Dylan Cease, and Pete Alonso are all likely to get one as well.

With the Angels desperate for starting pitching, the decision made in Philadelphia between Schwarber and Suárez is something to be keeping an eye on for the Angels front office and their fans. While either of the Phillies’ stars could be tempting for Anaheim, if Suárez does not receive the qualifying offer it will make him a much more attractive option given the Angels’ barren farm system. In fact, if any of the top arms mentioned above do not receive a qualifying offer, they may jump up the Halos’ free agent rankings as they could pursue them without risking the future of their farm system by giving up a high pick in the process. 

It is incredibly rare for a player to outright accept a qualifying offer, so these players are likely to hit the market either way. Nick Martinez accepted the qualifying offer he received from the Cincinnati Reds last offseason, so that is the caliber of player who would accept the QO. The real question is whether or not the Angels will let a qualifying offer tag on a player effect how much they’re willing to pursue certain free agents.

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