A Pete Alonso signing would trigger a tremendous domino effect for the Angels

Raise your hand if you're tired of hearing about Pete Alonso. The Angels reportedly met with the free-agent slugger in the last week, though those details are murky. The seemingly never-ending Alonso saga still seems like it will end with either Alonso or the Mets blinking and the Polar Bear returning to Queens.

The Angels, however, should not let that happen. They should do everything that's reasonable to ensure Alonso lands with them in Southern California not just because Alonso's one of the best-remaining bats on the market, but because it could and should cause a reaction that allows the team to solve all of their remaining big needs.

What exactly are those needs? Well, the team could use another power bat and that's where Alonso comes into play. Additionally, the team could use some reinforcements to the pitching staff, especially in the starting rotation. Alonso isn't Shohei Ohtani, so no, he won't directly help out on the mound, but his addition can set up another move or two that can solve those problems for the Halos.

If the Angels add Alonso they can't fumble the Nolan Schanuel conundrum

One of the prime reasons some oppose spending on Alonso is the presence of Nolan Schanuel. The soon-to-be 23-year-old is entering just his second full season in the bigs and presumably has the first base position locked down for the next five years that he's under team control.

The Angels don't have unlimited resources, but they do have some payroll flexibility that would seemingly be better put to use signing a free agent who directly fills a need, like Jack Flaherty. That makes sense, right?

After all, if the Angels sign Alonso, what do they do with Schanuel? Do they move him to left field which is a position he hasn't played in the pros? Do they leverage the fact that he still has minor-league options and send him down to work on his game? Do they let him just rot on the bench?

The Angels shouldn't do any of that. Instead, they should do the smart thing and trade him for a starting pitcher. One name that is available and would make a ton of sense is the San Diego Padres' Michael King.

King and several other Padres who are in the final year of their contracts are on the block as the Friars look to thread the needle between shedding payroll and competing with the juggernaut Dodgers in the NL West.

They have a high-priced infield and are also exploring trades for incumbent first baseman Luis Arraez, a rare contact-oriented first baseman who will make $14 million this season. Schanuel, while he hasn't reached the heights that Arraez has as a three-time batting champ, has a similar skillset and with two pre-arb years remaining will make only $800,000 this season.

King will make under $8 million in 2025 meaning the Angels could add him and still possibly have wiggle room to sign a bullpen arm or two and stay within budget if they were to sign Alonso. A package headlined by Schanuel could be enough to pry the Padres hurler away, and an Alonso signing would lengthen the lineup enough to make a Tim Anderson-Christian Moore dice roll at second base seem palatable.

Signing Alonso is a long shot. Signing Alonso and then pulling off a trade for King is even less likely. However, the opportunity is there for the Halos to nab the top power bat on the market forcing them to make a decision on Schanuel. The trade market, even if they can't pry King away, would be the best course of action for the Angels to maximize Schanuel and his value as long as the Angels don't fumble the process.

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