Angels: 4 players predicted to sign with LA this offseason

Marcus Stroman

Halo Hangout contributor Justin Gideon recently wrote a piece regarding the Bauer and Stroman dilemma, questioning who the better fit is for the Angels. While Trevor Bauer is undoubtedly the superior pitcher, Stroman represents an excellent clubhouse figure that will mesh well with the stars already on the team.

MLBTR has the Angels giving a four-year, $68 million deal to Marcus Stroman this winter. This is an overpay for a pitcher who is a 3-starter on a contender at best, but the Angels need to be looking to get stupid with their money. Upgrades need to come in bunches and they need to come quickly.

$17 million per year is not a contract figure that makes you wince, but it’s still a large sum of money and represents about half of the remaining space the Halos have under the luxury tax threshold. At just 29 years old, Stroman could be entering the beginning of his prime and the Halos might be best suited to try and buy on for his best years. Stroman holds a career 3.76 ERA, but has only pitched three full seasons since he broke into the league back in 2014.

Stroman did not pitch in 2020 for multiple reasons, but he still should command a decent contract given the lack of true impact starting pitching on the market. He would likely slot in behind Shohei Ohtani and Dylan Bundy in the rotation.