Should the LA Angels Have Gone Star Chasing?

While the LA Angels have been very active in free agency this year, the rest of the MLB has come to a standstill.

With so many marquee free agents still available, were the LA Angels right to pounce early and often? Or would waiting the offseason out and seeing who signs and for what amount of money been the smart strategy?

First off, we need to look at who the Angels have signed. They have upgraded their rotation with Matt Harvey and Trevor Cahill, while also signing Jonathan Lucroy at catcher to help manage games and get the best of their pitchers. They also signed Cody Allen to close out games, something they struggled with last season. Justin Bour was also signed as a 1B/DH to fill in for Shohei Ohtani and possible platoon with Pujols at first base.

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Overall, this is a solid group of guys. All of them address positions of need, and every single one seems to have a set role for 2019 (which is also how long each one is signed for). However, what if the Angels had been more patient?

This group, collectively, cost around $35 million. That’s a lot of money to spend on a group where no one stands out as an exceptional player. With that many, the Angels undoubtedly could have reigned in a far superior player instead of stretching themselves out.

Bryce Harper or Manny Machado, in this market, could probably be signed for under $35 million. Would you rather have the aforementioned group or one of the two former All Stars, followed by more low-cost signings?

Bringing in a third star for Mike Trout and Ohtani would be a big reason for Trout to stay beyond 2020, but it would also take away from the Angels’ money they have set aside for an extension.

Signing all of their free agents to one-year deals was a statement by the Angels. They want to have enough money to offer the blank check to Trout that has been reported. However, this group of five guys were also brought in to fill holes and help the team compete in 2019.

Personally, and I think I’m speaking for a goof amount of Halos’ fans when I say this, the team bringing in a big time name in free agency this year was in my hopes. Not necessarily a Harper or Machado, but maybe open the wallet more for a Patrick Corbin type of player, which would leave enough money left over to fill out holes.

While the Angels did have a solid offseason in my opinion, they lacked the splash move one would hope for from a team who could possibly lose their star player after 2020.