3 bargain bin free agents the Angels should pursue

While we can all dream that the Los Angeles Angels can still make a splash in free agency like signing outfielder Anthony Santander, who reportedly has an $82 million offer on the table from the Toronto Blue Jays, most of the remaining additions made will come from the bargain bin as the team looks to patch holes and prove they can contend in the AL West.

While these budget additions aren't always the most exciting on paper, sometimes they can pay off big time. Look no further than the San Diego Padres' addition of Jurickson Profar last offseason to a one-year $1 million deal that resulted in an All-Star campaign for the outfielder.

Of course, not all budget signings bring All-Star level performance, however, there are a number of options still on the market for the Angels that can both fill holes and provide some upside. Incremental improvements aren't always the exciting thing in the world, but sometimes they add up to become the difference between October baseball and fall golf outings.

The Angels should pursue Yoán Moncada

The Halos desperately need help in the infield and need a solution that can keep Anthony Rendon out of a role where he's relied upon for any sort of consistent production. While they could target a second base option and shift Luis Rengifo to the hot corner full-time, perhaps the best path forward is keeping Rengifo at second and bringing in the once-top-prospect in all of baseball.

While Moncada, who was the jewel of the White Sox-Red Sox trade for Chris Sale, has never lived up to that lofty billing, he's been a productive player for most of his career. For his career, Moncada, entering his age-30 season, owns a .254/.331/.424 line which is good for a 107 wRC+ while also playing above-average defense at third.

There are some warts to his game, namely a 29.7% strikeout rate for his career and a lack of power to justify all that swing and miss despite raw power being one of his loudest tools as a prospect. There are also some health concerns as he hasn't played more than 104 games in a season since 2021 and missed five months in 2024 due to an abductor injury.

That said, the recent injury is part of what keeps his price tag down, and if he performs up to his career averages he'd be a solid addition as a switch hitter who can lengthen the lineup and provide solid glove work. If he somehow figures out how to tap into his power, he could end up being a Profar-level steal.

The Angels should look to Jose Quintana to shore up the rotation

Even after the Yusei Kikuchi signing, the Angels' starting rotation needs help. While some analysts have postured that former Dodger Jack Flaherty could be the perfect fit, it remains to be seen if the Halos really want to step into the $20 million-plus AAV market for a starter again.

Instead, they could look to a grizzled veteran who could be had for a relative bargain given the explosion of the starting pitching market, pivoting to soon-to-be 36-year-old Jose Quintana.

Quintana doesn't have the upside of a Jack Flaherty, and the fit isn't perfect adding another southpaw to a group that already has lefties Kikuchi, Tyler Anderson, and Reid Detmers as presumptive starters. However, if the goal is to add quality innings at an affordable price, Quintana is a great fit and the rest can be figured out later.

Last season, Quintana logged 170.1 innings while posting a 3.75 ERA for the Mets last season. He owns a career 3.74 ERA and 3.70 FIP. While he doesn't fit the mold of the strikeout artist the rotation is lacking, at this price point, you're looking at imperfect options.

What Quintana does well is keep the ball on the ground (44.6% career groundball rate) and keep the ball in the yard (0.92 career HR/9). Even if he pitches more to his 2024 FIP, 4.56, that's better than the performances posted by Kyle Hendricks and Reid Detmers last season.

Two years might be a stretch, but even if the Halos upped the value a bit on a one-year deal, he'd still be a good value relative to what he can provide. Bargain hunting has its trade-offs, but Quintana's ability to eat innings while posting acceptable results should have the team intrigued.

Jesse Winker could provide cheap power for the Angels lineup

The Halos urgently need to inject some power into their lineup, and while Anthony Santander and his 44 dingers from last season would be the preferred path forward, should the Angels lose out Winker isn't a bad pivot.

Winker, 31, would add a left-handed option to a right-handed heavy lineup that features just Nolan Schanuel batting from the left side and a switch hitter in Luis Rengifo. While he's mostly a platoon bat and a negative in the field, Winker could form a solid duo with Taylor Ward in left as well as split time with Jorge Soler at DH.

For his career, Winker owns a .841 OPS versus righties. He struggles mightily with a .661 OPS vs lefties, but he wouldn't be called upon to go up against southpaws very often. In turn, his presence would maximize Soler who feasts on lefties to the tune of a .869 OPS with a .264 ISO. While Soler isn't a complete liability against righties, with a .770 career OPS, Winker could spell him for the tough matchups.

His presence could also help get the best out of Taylor Ward, who performs better against lefties (.805 career OPS) than righties (.740 career OPS). Since Winker is exclusively a platoon bat, both Soler and Ward will see ample time against righties where they are at least competent, but together this proposed trio adds another layer of thump to the lineup that currently doesn't exist.

Sure, he'd only be a part-time player and comes with some limitations, but at this price point, his production plus the positive impact he can make on others in the lineup by putting them in more advantageous positions would make him a steal at his projected price.

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