A picture-perfect future Angels' free agent target falls off the board

If there's one thing that the Angels were secretly hoping for, it was that their young core could develop enough in 2025 to, with the assistance of several hundreds of millions of dollars, lure Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to Anaheim.

The passing of Vladdy Jr.'s self-imposed spring training deadline to come to an agreement on an extension had breathed life into the idea that if someone could convince Arte Moreno to take a crowbar to his checkbook, the Halos would have a decent shot at landing the generational talent.

The nostalgia factor was in full swing as his Hall of Fame father won an AL MVP and made four All-Star teams in his six years in Anaheim, while Vladdy Jr. was just coming of age. Unfortunately, that dream was dashed as the Blue Jays swooped in to lock up their prized possession to the tune of a 14-year $500 million extension.

The development is a punch to the gut for the Angels' front office, who also flirted with Pete Alonso this past offseason in hopes of getting a serious power upgrade at first base. No one would have fit that bill better than Vladdy Jr., but alas, that option will no longer be on the board.

All eyes will be on Nolan Schanuel's development going forward

One of the strangest things about the Angels' pursuit of Alonso was what it meant for budding young first baseman Nolan Schanuel. The team's first-round pick in 2023, the youngster bolted through the minors in typical Angels' fashion, arriving on the scene that same year after just 22 minor-league games.

Last season was the first full season in the bigs for Schanuel, who is still only 23 years old, and was a mixed bag overall for the unconventional first baseman. While his contact and on-base skills were well advanced for his age, the youngster didn't show the prototypical power expected from a first baseman and slugged an anemic .362 on the year.

After an offseason dedicated to getting stronger and increasing his bat speed to generate more pop, the promising young first baseman has emerged as a clutch team leader for the Halos.

So far in the young season, we've yet to see Schanuel consistently display the power stroke he was hoping to develop, though after just nine games, the season is far from over. What will be crucial is seeing the improvements he makes this season and Guerrero Jr.'s departure from the impending free-agent market all but ensures Schanuel's spot is secure for the foreseeable future.

If he can continue to grow and develop into the type of player he has the potential to be, the Angels can feel good about losing the opportunity to drop half a billion dollars on Guerrero Jr, even if Schanuel never ends up in the same stratosphere.

The Angels don't need Schanuel to become generational, but they do need him to tap into his power and become a well-rounded hitter who can serve as a complement in the lineup. All eyes will be on him to see whether or not he can accomplish that feat for the remainder of 2025.

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