3 impact bats the Angels could pivot to after losing out on Anthony Santander

The Angels had been linked by several insiders to Anthony Santander whom they ultimately lost out on to the Toronto Blue Jays, indicating a desire to add more pop to the lineup. Santander wasn't the perfect player, but his strengths, specifically power and the ability to provide it from the left side as well as the right, fit the Angels lineup like a dream.

There are still three impact hitters on the market who can provide an approximation of what Santander would've brought to Anaheim. Like Santander, they are not perfect players, and some don't fit as well as the newest addition to the Blue Jays would have. Still, in some cases, the team has reportedly had an interest in at least one of them, and all three would bring something to the table to a team that reportedly wants to compete in 2025.

Some of these players have not been linked to the Halos, despite the obviousness of the fit, while others have been even if their projected place on the Angels' roster might be a bit clunky. Still, all would improve the team in 2025 and put the Angels in a better spot to compete after a disastrous 63-99 2024 campaign.

1. The Angels could sign Pete Alonso

Perhaps one of the strangest offseason sagas has been Pete Alonso's free agency. Initially seen as one of the premier bats on the market, it almost appeared that he was destined to wind up with whichever New York team lost out in the Juan Soto sweepstakes. Except that didn't happen, and the first base musical chairs started swirling leaving him without many options to sit.

As many as eight teams, including the Angels, have been rumored to be interested in Alonso who is engaged in the most awkward staring contest imaginable with his former employer, the New York Mets, even offering them a contract proposal well below the value of the extension he rejected with them, and seeing them respond with a much lower counter offer.

While his return to Queens seems inevitable, there's a chance the Angels could steal him away. The team is still scarred by the long-term contract they last doled out to a prominent free-agent first baseman, and that player, Albert Pujols, was a significantly more well-rounded hitter than Pete Alonso whose last two seasons have been the worst two of his career and whose only exceptional skill is his prodigious power.

However, this is a player with a 50-home run season on his resume and while imperfect, could provide a massive boost to the lineup on a short-term, high AAV deal. Yes, he would displace the incumbent first baseman Nolan Schanuel who would either find himself on the trade block or out in left field which would then force Taylor Ward out of the picture, so things could get messy.

Moreover, Alonso while adding power, is a right-handed hitter which doesn't necessarily fit to satisfy one of the Angels' most pressing remaining needs. Santander obviously fit the squad better, but if it's power the Halos seek no one currently available does that better than Pete Alonso.