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

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The Angels have some big decisions to make on free agents.

The free agent market of the 2020-2021 winter is not one that is necessarily going to draw the headlines like Bryce Harper and Manny Machado recently did, but there are still many marquee free agents to go around. The Angels figure to be in the thick of the market as they try to bolster a starting pitching staff that is begging for an overhaul. While the Halos might not need any offensive weaponry, you can never have too much firepower, right?

In this article, we are going to play a classic game of ‘pass or pursue’ for 10 of the hottest free agents on the market in regards to the Angels needs.

Of course, we will discuss Trevor Bauer. We might even discuss a few other smaller names, too. This free agent class might not be as top heavy as ones in past years, but it sure is deep. Even though the Angels backed up the Brink’s truck for Anthony Rendon last season, they still have some money to play around with. If Arte Moreno gives the new Angels’ GM the green light to go hog wild, the Angels could do damage in a class like this.

The Angels can still look towards the trade market with Cleveland Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor available, but the free agent market might be their best bet. Trading away prospects is not the best idea at the moment as the Angels try to pull the simultaneous rebuild and contend plan.

Well, let’s get started!

Trevor Bauer

Trevor Bauer has become one of the most polarizing figures in professional sports. He rubs many people the wrong way, but his defenders believe he is what baseball needs in terms of his transparency. Whatever your thoughts are of Bauer, you have to admit that he can flat out pitch. Recently named the 2020 NL Cy Young winner, Bauer righted the ship after a rough 2019 second half with the Cincinnati Reds.

Bauer posted a 99th percentile expected earned run average (xERA) on the season, according to Baseball Savant. He struck out exactly 100 batters across 73 innings of work with a 1.73 ERA and 0.79 WHIP. He was absolutely tremendous and more than deserving of his Cy Young Award this season.

The right-hander from UCLA is likely going to get a ridiculous sum of money this offseason from a team that is desperate for starting pitching help. Oh wait…that’s the Angels! Despite Bauer notably betting with a friend that he would only take one-year deals for the entirety of his career, a multi-year deal seems to be the likeliest scenario for him.

Bauer could receive a deal in the four to five year range for upwards of $30 million per season. A deal of a similar average annual value to Gerrit Cole, but a lot shorter of a term makes sense. Bauer is the furthest thing from consistent, but he is also the closest thing to an ace on this year’s free agent market.

Verdict: Pursue (four years, $112 million)

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)

George Springer

George Springer certainly has a case for being the most underrated player in all of baseball. He is not the type of player who makes headlines routinely or is featured on ESPN, but he can downright play the game of baseball at a high level. In the beginning of his career, Springer dealt with a plethora of injuries and experts were unsure if he would ever reach his full potential as a big leaguer. He has since silenced all the doubters.

Springer, 31, posted a 146 wRC+ in 2020 across 51 games, slugging 14 homers. In 2019, Springer had a ridiculous year. He played in just 122 games, but slugged 39 home runs and accumulated 6.5 WAR. It appears Springer could be a late bloomer and given his existing level of athleticism, he could be in for a longer career.

He is already 31 years of age, but his bat plays at any age. Springer has been a positive defender in the outfield every season of his career except 2018 in terms of defensive runs saved (DRS), posting 15 DRS combined the past two seasons.

It’s a shame the Angels don’t exactly need him in the outfield given that the Angels are set to build around Mike Trout and Jo Adell, but Springer should find a good home at a good price.

Verdict: Pass (five years, $115 million)

Marcus Semien

Marcus Semien has always been a very solid ballplayer, but he really crashed onto the scene in 2019. His 2020 fell in line offensively with the rest of his career and continued to make his outstanding 2019 look more and more like an outlier season. Even if Semien is just a 100 wRC+ type of bat, he is still an outstanding defender, posting 21 DRS across the past three seasons.

With Andrelton Simmons likely to be gone for good, the Angels need a replacement. Simmons isn’t the most productive player offensively as it is, but it is hard to replace his defensive wizardry. Semien can at least contribute half of what Simmons does while also contributing a lot more thump and offensive upside. If the Angels can work with Semien to find out what made him go off in 2019, they could be thoroughly rewarded for rolling the dice.

Semien holds just a career 104 wRC+ which is only four percent above average, but he can still reasonably be a 3 WAR type of asset for the Halos.

Verdict: Pursue (two years, $30 million)

DJ LeMahieu

Once a contact hitting second baseman for the Colorado Rockies, LeMahieu has now left the New York Yankees as an All-Star caliber offensive player that can play three positions. A lot of the advanced statistics pointed to a potential LeMahieu breakout before the Yankees grabbed him on the cheap, but it came to fruition. LeMahieu rejected his qualifying offer from the Yankees this week as expected and that should be music to the ears of Angels ownership.

LeMahieu is already 32 years old, but it appears that he is just entering his offensive prime as he just learned how to put the ball in the air. The utility man batted .364 in 50 games for the Yankees in 2020 after a year where he batted .327. Across 195 games in a Yankees uniform, LeMahieu also hit 36 home runs. This could be a small product of Yankee Stadium type of deal, but he still has improved mightily at the plate.

A reasonable slash line expectation for LeMahieu should be something in the range of .320/.400/.500. That’s an All-Star and the Angels could use him.

Verdict: Pursue (3 years, $66 million)

Next. 3 reasons to trade for Francisco Lindor

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