LA Angels: Ranking Their Biggest Competitors in the Gerrit Cole Sweepstakes

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(Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /

Everyone in baseball knows who the LA Angels are targeting most this winter. Gerrit Cole is atop their wishlist this free agency, but that doesn’t come without some steep competition.

While the LA Angels are ready to open their wallets in order to acquire Gerrit Cole’s services for the seven (or eight?) years, their hometown advantage doesn’t make it a given that Cole will choose to make SoCal his home again. The following five teams are ranked in order of how much competition they pose to Angels, and they will surely make Cole’s decision difficult.

Honorable Mentions:

The Texas Rangers are opening a new ballpark and could use a shiny new ace to bring in fans, but a star position player such as Anthony Rendon makes more sense.

The Minnesota Twins need starting pitching and have the flexible payroll to sign Cole. However, they seem much more likely to sign two second tier starters.

St Louis. has the need for an ace alongside

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5.) Houston Astros

I mean, there’s still a chance right? While there haven’t been many reports from the Astros’ front regarding Cole, that’s likely because they’re dealing with one of the biggest scandals in MLB history. However, don’t let their silence make you believe they aren’t planning a run at bringing Cole back as their championship remains open.

They have a legitimately good case to make to Cole as well. They helped him make the adjustments to his game that took him from a promising young pitcher to the most dominant starter in the entire MLB. In addition, he’ll have an annual shot at the World Series, which might not be the case in Anaheim.

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