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

4.) Los Angeles Dodgers

As it goes with every big name free agent, the Los Angeles Dodgers are a team that will always be in the mix. They were ready to pay big money for Bryce Harper last offseason while also being in constant trade rumors for star pitchers like Corey Kluber all winter long. This all goes to say that if there’s a star available, the Dodgers are in the competition.

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And they make sense for Cole. They’re practically the Astros of the National League. They bring a lot of the same draws that Houston does. They’re extremely analytically driven, constantly in the race for a World Series, and have a former Cy Young (and a future one in Walker Buehler) to pair with Cole. They also don’t have an investigation going on within their organization.

3.) San Diego Padres

It might be true that Stephen Strasburg makes more sense for the Padres and is likely their number one target given he is from there, but who’s to say they can’t try to double dip on aces? The Padres have paid big money two offseasons in a row and still have a decent amount of room on their payroll to add starting pitching.

They obviously also have the location Cole reportedly desires, and having Gerrit Cole lead a rotation with Chris Paddack would be devastating in the playoffs. The Padres are going to spend this offseason, and a Cole addition would boost them up within the National League rankings.