MLB insider connects pitching-needy Angels to ideal free agent fit

Rumor season is officially here, a time when the Los Angeles Angels fans thrive -- they get their hopes up over a big splash and end up being wildly underwhelmed at the end of the day. Right now, fans have their eyes on position players like Bo Bichette and Cody Bellinger and soon-to-be posted NPB third basemen in Munetaka Murakami and Kazuma Okamoto. Fans are predisposed to believe the Angels will not try and spend money on the pitching staff, especially a year after they broke the bank for the AC-deprived Yusei Kikuchi, but one MLB insider thinks they could be in on a bona fide ace this winter.

MLB insider connects pitching-needy Angels to ideal free agent fit

MLB.com's Mark Feinsand believes the Angels are a potential fit for Dylan Cease. Cease is a free agent who would undoubtedly be the Angels' number one starter, and move Yusei Kikuchi, José Soriano and Reid Detmers down the pecking order to where they belong. Both Kikuchi and Soriano were overtaxed as the top-two members of the rotation, and they desperately need an ace to alleviate the expectations thrust upon them. Do not worry about his record or ERA, that's nonsensical. Worry more about his MLB-best K/9 (among qualified starters), 16th-best FIP and gigantic stuff.

Cease will turn 30-years-old in December and will be hamstrung by a qualifying offer. Those are definitely causes for concern given that handing a 30-year-old his desired four or five year deal is scary, and that the Angels are in no position to lose a draft pick. Also, just, come on...does anybody really think he will sign with the Halos?

It's pretty illogical to believe that the Angels are going to make a big, or even medium, splash this offseason given the payroll situation and a looming lockout. It was speculated that Arte Moreno wanted to hire the cheapest possible manager, and it just so happened that Kurt Suzuki was cheaper than both Albert Pujols and Torii Hunter (Suzuki was signed to an unprecedented one-year contract with options). It sure feels like the Angels possibly re-signing Kenley Jansen will be the biggest move, even with the new manager in tow. The cap space situation is untenable, and after 2026 the Angels will have a whole lot of money to spend and potentially a new general manager to make those decisions. Signing the starting pitcher who was the best at striking out batters last year does not fit the team's timeline, and he does not want to join the clown-car that is the Los Angeles Angels.

For what it's worth, Feinsand tied the Angels to Eugenio Suárez, Luis Arraez, Jorge Polanco and Lucas Giolito as well. Yes, all of those players besides Giolito (Angels fans just can't go through the Giolito experience again) would be solid fits. The reasoning of the Angels pursuing these players checks out, but the reality is that they do not feel like players who would want to come to Anaheim. The others' stocks are too high (Suárez in particular), and/or stick with the organization that has championship aspirations where they are comfortable (Polanco in particular). Maybe Arraez comes to Anaheim, that makes the most sense? The positional aspect makes it far less enticing, given that the Angels are pretty set at 1B and DH, but his bat-to-ball skills are very, very much in demand for the Halos.