MLB insiders weigh in on the legitimacy of the Alonso-to-Angels rumors

New York Mets v Los Angeles Angels
New York Mets v Los Angeles Angels | Brandon Sloter/GettyImages

The Los Angeles Angels, starved for more major league talent, are interested in the services of first baseman Pete Alonso. This is definitely not shocking news to fans and readers, as it has been widely reported that that the Angels are trying to land Alonso. Jon Heyman of the New York Post has written and talked about it, but curiously the one guy who you wish would discuss the rumors has not said a peep about Alonso-to-LAA. Until now. Well, in a way.

ESPN's Jeff Passan, perhaps incidentally, gave credence to the rumors that the Angels are looking at Alonso. He said "whoever signs Pete Alonso -- whether it is the New York Mets, the Toronto Blue Jays, the Los Angeles Angels, or some other team that we don't know of at this point --that steps up" and went on to talk about how Alonso is going to perform well with the team that wins his sweepstakes. Passan merely saying "the Los Angeles Angels' with regards to Alonso's free agency is a giant breath of fresh air for Angels fans. Passan has never once mentioned the Angels as a possible landing-spot for Alonso.

MLB rumors just feel so much more legitimate when the great Jeff Passan weighs in, and for him to even offhandly name the Angels as a team that might sign Alonso really makes it feel all the more plausible...until another plugged-in insider talks about whether or not he believes the Angels could actually sign him.

OK so the Angels are in on Alonso. We've known this, can we actually get him?! Well, bad news. Robert Murray, on his Baseball Insiders podcast, threw cold water on the Alonso to the Angels rumor:

"I would be very surprised if they ended up signing Alonso. Doesn't mean it's guaranteed to not happen, but I would be pretty surprised unless...Arte Moreno wakes up one morning and decides that he wants to end up doing this"
Robert Murray

Murray went on to say that any Alonso signing is not close, and made it clear that the likelihood of Alonso to LAA is not great. However, he discussed how he's not close with the Mets, he's not close with the Angels, and, despite previous reports, he's not close with the Blue Jays either. Whether it was playful banter or legit insight, he took the "10-yard line" Alonso-to-the-Jays report and rebuffed it. Murray said (to paraphrase slightly) how if the Jays were indeed once on the 10-yard line with Alonso, they took a sack and are now out of the red zone.

On the report that the Angels met with Alonso recently -- it's still unconfirmed. Nothing verifiable there.

So yes, there have been ample reports, articles, podcasts, words said about Alonso, but nothing is close to materializing. Nobody is close to a deal. The Mets and Blue Jays have had talks, and will continue to talk, but nobody knows if those are making progress or not. Probably not, given how Alonso is represented by Scott Boras. It sure seems like the Mets and Jays are not making any progress whatsoever. Are the Angels bidders? It appears so. The Angels could get Alonso, but they are not close and it remains to be seen whether they are legitimate finalists for him or if it's all just eye-wash. The tell-all of these sweepstakes once they are finalized will be must-read content. For now, just enjoy the theater of it all and be careful of what you see on social media.

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