Angels insider throws cold water on LA following Pirates’ lead with Konnor Griffin

There's been a healthy amount of player extensions handed out through the first two weeks of the regular season. Notably, the Pirates handed out a 9-year extension to Konnor Griffin this week, offering up $140 million to baseball's top prospect. There's no need to rehash the fact that the Angels could have had Griffin, but news of his extension brings back a conversation LA has avoided under Arte Moreno.

The Angels have a clear extension candidate in Zach Neto, who is trending toward becoming one of the top shortstops in the American League. Neto is under control through the 2029 season, but now would be the time for LA to buy out his remaining arbitration years and the first couple of years of free agency.

Such a move is what smart baseball organizations do, and that could be the reason why it doesn't appear to be a top order of business for Perry Minasian and Co. During a recent Q&A with readers, The Orange County Register's Jeff Fletcher was asked about the Angels' chances of signing someone to an in-season extension.

Angels don't appear eager to get in on the contract extension trend.

Neto was the obvious name mentioned when Fletcher was asked, but also included were catcher Logan O'Hoppe and outfielder Jo Adell. It's debatable if the Angels should have much interest in extending either player, especially O'Hoppe, but Fletcher's overall point remains.

As Fletcher points out, there are two recent examples of the Angels doing that very thing: Mike Trout and David Fletcher, and neither deal worked out in the team's favor. The insider also points to the uncertainty surrounding the Halos' television deal, and there may not be the funds available for such an extension at the moment. That said, detractors of owner Arte Moreno would debate that last point.

Overall, the front office may not be in such a position to make a commitment. Minasian is in the final year of his deal, and short of a playoff run, it would seem likely that there is a regime change in LA next offseason.

New decision makers will likely be in place by this time next year, and perhaps, it's a different conversation. For now, the Angels appear to be living in the realm of the status quo, even if it means they are falling behind spending trends across baseball.