LA Angels: Should fans be worried about the lack of moves this winter?

The Angels have not made any notable moves this winter and while there is still some hope, optimism might be fading.

The San Diego Padres are the team that appears to be shoving all-in this winter. After getting swept by the eventual World Series champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Padres had their wake up call. This week, they dealt top prospects to bolster their pitching staff, acquiring Yu Darvish from the Chicago Cubs and Blake Snell from the Tampa Bay Rays. One of those men very easily could have been Angels given the trade packages that were surrendered.

The price for Blake Snell was a bit more hefty given that the Padres surrendered the second-best pitching prospect in the game for him in Luis Patiño, but Jo Adell would have fit the bill for the Rays as well. Darvish didn’t fetch much considering his hefty contract, but he still could have been had for a small fraction of what he’s actually worth.

These moves beg the questions of: “Should Angels fans be worried about the lack of movement this offseason?” and “Should Angels fans be worried about the Padres taking all of the players they are interested in?” These are legitimate questions. While you, the reader, might have a different opinion than mine, I will say this. The Angels should not be worried…yet. They still have time and there are still some big fish out there on the open market that should pique the interest of the front office. Only time will tell, though, if the Angels do make their move.

Trevor Bauer is still available. A plethora of value arms that can be had for very cheap — think Corey Kluber and James Paxton — are still out there. The Angels could even look at offensive upgrades like free agent catcher JT Realmuto or shortstop Francisco Lindor as a trade target. As we approach the new year, we must hope for a good 2021 all the way around from the Halos, but it all starts now.

While it would be nice to have inked a star or two into a Halos uniform for the upcoming season by now, patience is necessary. We have been patient for so long already, but we must keep the faith in the Halos. This has the makings of a new era of Angels baseball — new coach, new front office, new stars (?). Let’s watch it unfold.