Angels Rumors: MLB insiders appraise Alonso's contract; how LAA could land Santander

There are paths for the Angels to land one of the two 30-year-old sluggers who are available via free agency. Angels fans are skeptical that the team can land either Pete Alonso or Anthony Santander and are also remaining dubious as to whether or not either fits the team. Either way, the Angels are interested in landing one of them and have make serious inroads to make before landing one of them.

Perhaps the more attainable player at this point is shockingly the long-time Mets first baseman, Pete Alonso. ESPN's senior MLB insider, Jeff Passan, described Alonso's next contract as such: "At this point, Alonso will almost certainly get an opt-out-laden short-term deal."

Alonso is, in fact, a Boras client, and his clients have been increasingly receiving the opt-out-heavy contracts when they sign close to Spring Training. Given Alonso's incredible production in his career and his league-wide popularity, it comes as somewhat of a surprise that Alonso would forfeit guaranteed years. Perhaps this would benefit the Angels, however.

The Athletic's MLB Analyst & Insider, Jim Bowden, dismissed the Angels as an Alonso suitor as it would be too reminiscent of the Albert Pujols deal. Bowden mentioned Anthony Rendon and Josh Hamilton too, but Pujols is the most notable comparison given how they both play first base and Alonso's camp's original asking price was eerily similar to what Pujols landed with the Angels. If Passan is to be believed (and he should), then a short-term contract heavy on opt-outs would benefit the intrigued Angels' ability to land Alonso. First and foremost, the historical comparison to the Pujols deal would be out-the-window due to the opt-outs. the two sides are haggling over the number of years of his hypothetical Angels' deal (per the New York Post's Jon Heyman), but perhaps Arte Moreno would be put at ease if there was an opt-out added into a potential 3-4 year deal rather than 5-6 year. Ideally a club option, too.

The idea of Arte Moreno winning a bidding war over Steve Cohen is laughable. However, perhaps the Angels could wiggle their way into signing the Polar Bear if they offer Alonso fewer opt-outs and more years. Whether that is the right thing to do is a different matter entirely. The Angels do have more need for Alonso than the Mets, who could easily switch Mark Vientos to first base full-time. Perhaps the Angels' offer to Alonso will reflect their desperation for more power, and they could take advantage of the Mets' easing up on their former face of the franchise.

If the Angels are to land Anthony Santander, it has to be as soon as possible

The path to landing Anthony Santander for the Angels is parallel to the key to landing a joke...timing.

If the Angels are prioritizing Santander over Alonso, then it's all about somehow locking up Santander before Alex Bregman or Alonso sign. That is the number one key to acquiring Santander -- it has to be timely for them to have a chance. If the Angels wait too long, and the Toronto Blue Jays and Detroit Tigers are able to boost their offers after missing out on Bregman and/or Alonso, then the Angels have very little chance of landing the switch-hitting slugger. MLB Network's Jon Morosi laid it all out recently.

The Jays are linked to virtually every remaining free agent due to getting shut out during the offseason thus far, so they are making offers left-and-right. They already have a competitive offer in-place for Santander, and are actively bidding for Bregman as well. If they whiff on Bregman to, say, the Red Sox, then they could easily turn around and blow Santander's camp away with their follow-up offer. The Angels have to land Santander before anybody lands Bregman. That seems implausible at this point, though. Most insiders have Santander heading to Toronto.

Angels fans as a whole would rather see the club land Santander than Alonso, given how it's the more risk-averse move and he is a better fit for the roster. Alonso would require more of a shake-up, which would not be the worst thing in the world for a club that just lost 99-games. Either way, the markets for both sluggers are robust and the Angels' ability to maneuver quickly will be put to the test. Here's hoping that Moreno and Minasian are on the same page so they can maximize their chances of improving the roster before Spring Training starts.

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