Angels may have long-term silver bullet to snag Paul Skenes (no, seriously)

It has been quite a while since the Los Angeles Angels have been a true destination for top free agents. They did sign Anthony Rendon, and Angels fans unfortunately saw how that turned out, and when Shohei Ohtani was still an Angel, the allure of the marketing dollars he attracted helped the cause. However, since Ohtani's departure, the Angels as a franchise have become better known for being a team that consistently cuts costs rather than one that plays in one of the biggest markets in the world. Oddly enough, there is a (very) slim chance that Paul Skenes, of all players, could change all of that.

Skenes has become one of the true stars of MLB in a hurry. After becoming the #1 overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, Skenes blasted through the Pirates' farm system, won NL Rookie of the Year in 2024 rather handily, and the rest is history. If you were to ask most baseball experts, it is extremely likely that they would tell you that, barring an injury, the Cy Young Skenes won last year is not going to be his last.

So what does he have to do with the Angels? Well, Skenes grew up an Angels fan as it turns out. During a recent interview, Skenes reiterated that fandom and also talked about how he modeled his game after Ohtani. While that may seem like more proof that Skenes could be lured to the Dodgers one day, Skenes's affection for the Angels could be enough to at least keep the team in the running for his services when the time comes.

Angels need to start planning now to make a real run at Paul Skenes down the line in order to save the franchise

Despite recent history, the Angels do have a track record of handing out big money contracts like the one Skenes is absolutely certain to command after 2029 (at minimum). They made Mike Trout the face of their franchise and bet $426.5 million on him being worth it, with mixed results at best. They also gave Rendon over $38 million a year over seven years, but that isn't exactly a glowing endorsement of the strategy.

However, it is telling that Skenes is STILL talking about growing up an Angels fan after being born in Orange County. After stops with the United States Air Force Academy, LSU, and now the Pirates, he still remembers his hometown team fondly. It is extremely unlikely that Skenes would give LA a big discount, but there is no Scott Boras to deal with here, and the Angels do seem to appeal to his emotional side as a player and fan.

Now, the trick is turning this marginal advantage into something tangible. After all, it isn't like the Dodgers are far away from where Skenes grew up, and it is a mortal lock that they are going to throw some ungodly amount of money at him once he is available. This is a rare chance for the Angels to send a message that the Dodgers won't go unchallenged. Doing so will require owner Arte Moreno to open his wallet and be less stubborn than when Ohtani left (neither of which is certain at all), but the foundation is there for the Angels to make one of the splashiest pitcher signings of them all after years and years of ignoring that part of the roster.