Latest Angels free agency report has simply arrived too late in the offseason

The Angels could have some tricks up their sleeve, but that certainly remains to be seen. MLB insider, Ken Rosenthal, was asked if he sees the Angels making any more significant moves. He affirmed what he wrote for The Athletic back on January 7th: that the Angels are positioning themselves to pounce on free agents. There are several factors at play for the Angels and how they are planning to complete their roster building prior to Opening Day.

Rosenthal was pretty vague in his Angels report: "I believe they are in play for a number of free agents right now, and it's just a matter where the market goes and who might want to play for them...I would expect that they are going to pick off some players in the weeks ahead. I wouldn't say 'guarantee it' but I would expect it."

Oh, so it's dependent on the market and who wants to play for the Angels? Groundbreaking stuff, Ken. He did not clarify what caliber of player he expects them to "pick off" either. Does the signing of Tim Anderson categorize as them picking off a player?

The Angels are patiently, yet frustratingly, waiting for prices to drop for the remaining major league free agents. Whether it is the trade market or in free agency, the Angels are in a value-driven position at the proverbial poker table. They will not budge on their stances -- be it Taylor Ward's trade value, or Luis Rengifo's, or Tyler Anderson's, or what they are willing to pay preeminent free agents. The front office was certainly aggressive early in the offseason, but they did not overpay Yusei Kikuchi, Travis d'Arnaud, or in their trade for Jorge Soler (his contract is also not bad at two-years, $32 million remaining).

Spring training is arriving soon, but are prices going to drop on the best remaining free agents?

It's a fine position to be in, teams and fans hate overpays. However, the question remains: are the Angels going to land another strong contributor that is going to sign at/below market value? For one, the Angels will likely need to overpay a Jack Flaherty, Nick Pivetta, Pete Alonso, Ha-Seong Kim, or Jurickson Profar to be taken seriously in negotiations. It's difficult for a team coming off a 99-loss season to convince meaningful free agents to join their team on a moderately priced deal.

Take Jack Flaherty for example, a player who many expect the Angels to be engaged with. The right-handed starter is impatiently waiting for a deal and has taken to posting on social media as an outlet for his boredom and irritation. The prices for all free agents have surpassed expectations, especially starting pitchers, yet Flaherty remains without a job. Just recently, Tanner Scott got overpaid relative to expectations, Justin Verlander got paid more than expected as well, and so did Anthony Santander. Flaherty will get a larger contract than the Luis Severinos, Sean Manaeas, and Yusei Kikuchis of the world, given his age, productivity, and availability last season. Even in the unlikely scenario where Flaherty does get less money than what was expected earlier this offseason, he would much rather take less money from a bona fide contender than from the Angels. All this logic applies to Nick Pivetta as well.

Additionally, Anthony Santander certainly did not take a pay cut even though his process was drawn out. ESPN's Kiley McDaniel predicted that Anthony Santander would get five-years, $69 million. He got 5 years, $92.5 million. The Angels were widely reported to be interested in the switch-hitting slugger, who was a perfect fit for what the team needs next season. They clearly did not budge on their appraisal of Santander, and will not budge on their value additions only philosophy even at the expense of losing out on a player of Santander's caliber.

The Angels have done a nice job of adding depth during their major league free agency/trade market dormancy. The Salt Lake Bees are looking stacked! They did a great job of adding players to help them compete early in the offseason. However, in a post-Soto/post-Burnes landscape they have waited too long to add a player of value below or at his respective market value. It's either an overpay, or they will continue to be left at the altar over-and-over again.

More LA Angels News from Halo Hangout