LA Angels: Now Is The Time for Arte Moreno To Spend Big

The LA Angels have already checked off the first box of their offseason, signing Joe Maddon as their manager.

Now, Arte Moreno needs to open his checkbook and get a winning team on the field for LA Angels fans. If he’s willing to pay both Brad Ausmus’ and Joe Maddon’s contracts, then he better be willing to pay up for the top free agents on the market.

I broke down how much money the Angels have to spend this offseason in an article about two weeks ago, which you can find here. That number essentially boils down to around $50 million assuming Kole Calhoun’s team option is declined.

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However, that is based off what the Halos have been willing to spend in years past. However, the pressure is building on the Angels’ organization more and more.

Arte Moreno hasn’t fielded a winner in over half a decade, and he must be feeling pressure from the fan base. Putting a winning team on the field in 2020 would also likely move some attention away from the investigation into the Angels and place it on the team’s chase for the playoffs.

There’s also the crop of free agents. It’s very rare to see a fit as perfect between a team and group of free agents as the one the Angels and free agent starters have. Gerrit Cole, Stephen Strasburg (probably), Hyun Jin Ryu, Madison Bumgarner, Jake Odorizzi, Zack Wheeler, and that’s only a handful of the available names.

With so many elite available starters, this is the year for the Angels to go all in and pay the luxury tax for one season. They have a lot of money coming off the books next offseason, and could get back down below the tax next offseason. But cashing in on a Cole and/or Strasburg would make the Angels immediate threats for the postseason, as well as create legitimate excitement in the fanbase.

So while their typical spending may not suggest the Angels will have a $200 million+ payroll next season, the timing has never been more right for Arte Moreno to go out and do what he does best: spend.