2 free agents the Angels wish they signed, 2 they're glad they passed on

The Angels' activity over the offseason was certainly out of the ordinary. The team opened the period with a flurry of moves before going into a deep hibernation through December and most of January, before rising from their slumber, making a few more critical additions right up to the eve of spring training.

Throughout that time, especially during the winter doldrums, the team was connected to a number of free agents they ultimately missed out on. Now that the season has gotten underway, it makes sense to look back and see which of these whiffs really hurt, and which were bullets dodged.

The Angels really wished they had signed Pete Alonso right about now

Perhaps no free agent's odyssey was stranger and more drama-filled than that of Pete Alonso. Affectionately known as "Polar Bear," his market was much slower to develop than he hoped, and he ultimately wound up back with his former team, the New York Mets, as the music stopped and both sides were left without a seat in an awkward game of musical chairs.

However, prior to Alonso returning to the Mets on a two-year, $54 million deal with an opt-out after this season, Alonso had been frequently connected to the Angels at various points during the offseason.

Fast forward to today, and Alonso has been one of the three best hitters in baseball. He's started the year absolutely scorching hot, posting a .346/.453/.718 line that's good for a 218 wRC+ that ranks third in the majors.

Alonso has always been one of the best right-handed power hitters in the game, but he hasn't always been a contact and on-base wizard. Last season, he posted a .240/.329/.459 line that was among the worst production of his career, and in 2023, he reached a career-low in batting average, hitting just .217.

The Halos certainly would've had to significantly outbid the Mets for Alonso's services, as it was clear that, outside of getting paid, his top priority was to return to Queens. Recent history has shown us just how risky long-term contracts for first basemen can be; however, with production like Alonso's put together in the early going, he might be proving that giving him such a deal may have been justified.

Other issues also prevented an Angels-Alonso marriage. For one, the fit would've been slightly awkward unless the team got creative and strung together a series of other moves to turn redundant assets into other players who could have filled glaring holes.

It would have required a risky deal to bring Alonso to Anaheim, but it may have been worth it. A prodigious power bat with MVP-upside alongside sluggers Mike Trout, Jorge Soler, and burgeoning star Kyren Paris, along with a plethora of up-and-coming young talent, would have made the Angels' lineup among the most feared in the American League. Instead, the Angels are left watching Alonso crush long balls for his former team.