Can Angels actually add another hitter or will they continue to be interest kings?

Stop me if you've heard this before: "the Angels are interested in..."

Free agency is the same old story year-after-year for the Angels. They are an organization who is run by a former Atlanta Braves staffer in Perry Minasian, and the Braves' front office is known for its secrecy. The Braves are never linked to anybody during the offseason as they do a great job of mitigating internal leaks, and the Angels are doing their best to replicate that. However, leaks do tend to happen for Minasian's current team, as reporters are increasingly discussing which players the Angels are evaluating. The bitter irony of it all: it sure feels like they do not sign the players they are linked to (they usually are getting used for leverage by players' agents), and sign the players who nobody expects them to get.

The Angels were expected to operate in the mid-tier starting pitcher market, but nobody expected them to sign Yusei Kikuchi. Kikuchi was the best pitcher of that group with a robust market, but Minasian got it done anyways. Amazing job! Nobody expected the Angels to make a splashy move to bolster their catching group, and they went out and grabbed the second best catcher on the market in Travis d'Arnaud to compliment both Logan O'Hoppe and their pitching staff. Great move! The reality is that this 99-loss team still needs more, though.

The carousel of interest continues. Whether it's Gleyber Torres or Tomoyuki Sugano, the Angels are suddenly losing out on players they are making calls on (for one reason or another). Now, it's getting to the nitty-gritty of the offseason and the roster really needs reinforcements either via trade or free agency sooner rather than later. The Angels really need a power bat, they need more power pitching, they need more infield help, they need another left-handed hitter. They are reportedly interested and/or frontrunners for Anthony Santander, Hye-seong Kim, and Pete Alonso at the moment.

The "more of the same" mantra has been perpetually agonizing for Angels fans. The Angels said they are going to compete next season and do not? More of the same. The Angels were interested in a player and he signed elsewhere? More of the same. There needs to be a breakthrough if they are going to actually turn this disavowed franchise around. Perhaps actually landing Santander or pulling off a trade for a bona fide ace could end that miserable mantra. The suddenly dormant Angels need to revive their aggrieved fanbase by showing them that they are going to follow through on signing guys they are linked to.

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