Los Angeles Angels: Pass or pursue on 5 marquee free agents

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WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 22: J.T. Realmuto #10 of the Philadelphia Phillies bats against the Washington Nationals during the first game of a doubleheader at Nationals Park on September 22, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images) /

JT Realmuto

Not often does the consensus best player at a certain position become available on the trade market, but this year appears to be it. JT Realmuto is widely considered to be the best catcher in the sport and will be in for an enormous pay day this winter. He figures to have plenty of suitors because of his position — most teams could use an offensive-minded catcher like Realmuto on their roster. The Angels are one of those teams.

The only catchers the Angels currently have on their roster are Max Stassi and Anthony Bemboom. Stassi has shown flashes of potential, but Bemboom is the definition of a backup MLB catcher. Jason Castro was traded in the middle of the 2020 season and he was the best option the Angels had. He also happened to be one of the most undervalued players at his position given his solid defense and solid offense.

While Realmuto certainly feels a need, it is not like the Halos are behind the pack that far with Max Stassi as their primary starter. Most teams do not have catchers with any sort of All-Star potential. While adding another elite right-handed bat to an already great middle of the order seems enticing, the Halos allocating their resources and funds to the right place is far more important.

Realmuto posted a 125 wRC+ and crushed 11 home runs in 47 games for the Phillies in 2020.

Verdict: Pass (five years, $125 million)

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