Angels: 5 big free agents who will not sign in LA this offseason

While the Angels hunt for big free agents this offseason, they will miss on some.

This is a very pivotal offseason for the Angels as they must make a decision to either go all in and try to get into contention or play .500 ball once again and miss out on another October. This year’s free agent class is unique. It lacks the top-flight star power that teams salivate over, but it features a myriad of second-level stars, some that we will discuss later on in this article.

This is not a winter that includes the Bryce Harper and Manny Machado types of the world, but the Angels shouldn’t necessarily be in that business anyways. They already have two of the most gifted hitters in the league and with the exception of Trevor Bauer, there are no true game-changing starting pitchers on the open market. This puts the Angels in a unique position in a unique offseason. While the free agent market might be the easiest market to address needs on, they could work the trade market as well.

Not to beat a dead horse, but the Angels do in fact need help desperately on the pitching side. Shohei Ohtani and Dylan Bundy can be solid starters when healthy, but after that, there are more question marks. The bullpen isn’t necessarily a strong suit either as the Angels’ relievers put together the 17th best ERA in the sport. They need some help. Good thing there are relievers on the market to fill those needs.

However, there are simply needs that other teams have that the Angels already have addressed. The more teams of that ilk, the less competition the Halos will have for the players they opt to vie for.

Let’s discuss five players that the Angels will very likely not land this winter.

George Springer

George Springer has been a model of pure consistency since he entered the league in 2014. While he has missed games with various injuries across his major league career, he is always a safe bet for star production when he is actually on the field.

Springer has averaged 5.4 wins above replacement (WAR) per 162 games since he broke into the league, posting 6.5 WAR in just 122 games two seasons ago. That’s downright excellent. However, the Angels simply don’t need him. Adding Springer to an already star-studded outfield could be good as the Angels could finally find a steady leadoff man, but Springer is a center fielder. If he were to be open to moving positions to man the outfield with the best player in baseball in Mike Trout, this conversation could be very different. Right now, though, Springer does not appear to be on the table for the Angels.

In 2020, Springer played in 51 games, posting a 146 wRC+. That’s an excellent mark especially considering that in 2019, he had a 156 wRC+. He might be amongst the game’s most underrated players.

As long as the Angels employ the mighty Mike Trout, though, George Springer is not a clear-cut fit.

Marcell Ozuna

Marcell Ozuna truly regained his confidence in 2020 with the Atlanta Braves, posting a 179 wRC+ and a fantastic .338 batting average. He also piled on 18 home runs in just 60 games played, also showing out with a 1.067 OPS on the season. Ozuna was a key part of the Braves offense that was amongst the best in baseball and helped lead them to a point where they were just one win away from making it to the World Series.

Ozuna is not exactly the model of consistency as we mentioned with Astros’ outfielder George Springer, but Ozuna is a very capable bat that deserves to be paid this offseason. Given the overall market status being so weak, Ozuna could be in for a big pay day. He bet on himself by signing a one-year deal with the Braves and it may have parlayed itself into a long-term deal with another club.

Ozuna figures to have an endless amount of suitors this winter and the Angels will likely not be on the list given that the front office will likely focus on bringing in pitching instead of bolstering the offense.

The 29-year-old outfielder could be an option for the Angels as a designated hitter given his lackluster defensive ability, but it seems unlikely at this point in time. Regardless, the Angels should still pick up a difference maker or two this offseason.

Michael Brantley

When healthy, Michael Brantley is one of the best contact hitters in baseball. The 33 year old outfielder currently holds a .297 career batting average and posted a .300 batting average in 2020. While his speed may be gone and any power he did have seeming to be on the decline, he is still a very capable bat. He posted a 134 wRC+ in 2020 and a 133 wRC+ the season prior. He is consistently very good when he actually is on the field and like Ozuna, should cash in.

Brantley held just a 40th percentile hard hit rate in 2020, but that is perfectly fine considering the power has never been out of this world for him. His 22 home runs in 2019 was a bit of an outlier and at this point in the MLB, everyone seems to crush 20 bomb or more. His game is still intact because of an elite 93rd percentile whiff rate and 88th percentile strikeout rate.

Back in his days with the Cleveland Indians, Brantley was usually a 15-15 or 20-20 threat and chipped in batting averages above .300, but at this stage of his career, he might be more of a 15 home run type who is capable of a batting average above .310.

In a day in age where there aren’t many players who are bonafide batting champion contenders, Brantley remains as such. The Angels could use a solid leadoff hitter, but the fact that Brantley plays the outfield sort of ruins his charm for the Halos in particular.

Joc Pederson

Joc Pederson was once a top-ten consensus prospect in baseball and while he has slightly underperformed that projection, he has been a very serviceable bat for the Dodgers across his tenure. The 28-year-old lefty had a horrifyingly bad season for it being a contract year for him, posting a measly 88 wRC+ and .190 batting average in 2020.

Pederson is arguably the best straight up platoon player in all of the sport. In 2018, Pederson posted a 126 wRC+ and in 2019, a 127 wRC+. Those are fantastic numbers considering that in two full seasons, he also strung together 61 home runs. A left-handed bat to balance out the right-handed bats of Anthony Rendon and Mike Trout could be a good thing for the Halos, but given Joc’s limitations defensively, he might be a no altogether.

If Pederson had had even just a career average season in 2020, he may have commanded a good pay day. However, at this time, he might just return to the Dodgers on a one or two year deal.

Joc almost became an Angel last season along with right handed pitcher Ross Stripling, but the deal feel through. While Joc still has some thump in his bat when he is on track, he might not be a clear-cut option for the Halos this winter.