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3 massive mistakes the LA Angels have already made this offseason

By Evan Desai |
Jul 3, 2021; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Alex Cobb (38) was not re-signed by the team this offseason.
Jul 3, 2021; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Alex Cobb (38) was not re-signed by the team this offseason. / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
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Oct 23, 2019; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Justin Verlander (35) throws against
Oct 23, 2019; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Justin Verlander (35) throws against / Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

The LA Angels' offseason is far from over, but many teams have seemed to secure a nice head start on the club since the winter began.

Many fans, including myself, would have appreciated if the Halos stayed aggressive like they were at the very beginning of the offseason by signing Noah Syndergaard and Aaron Loup. It's not over, but there were some major missed opportunities that the team let slip away.

The three biggest mistakes all revolve around a specific position we've all been calling for, and calling out for it for the last eight offseasons.

No. 3 mistake the LA Angels have already made this offseason: Not signing Justin Verlander

The LA Angels were expected by many to be one of the top teams in contention for Justin Verlander. They were also one of the teams that attended Verlander's early offseason workout, where he looked back.

Verlander ended up re-signing with the Astros on a one-year/$25 million deal. The deal comes with a player option for 2023 at the same price if he pitches 130 or more innings in 2022. That's an ideal situation for a team like the Angels who needs starting pitching bad, and it's certainly not good that he's going to be back with a division rival.

After all, Verlander's going to be healthy by the time the season starts, and if there's anyone who a team can trust to bounce back from the type of injury he faced, it's the former AL MVP and two-time AL Cy Young winner.

Jul 3, 2021; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Alex Cobb (38) should have been re-signed.
Jul 3, 2021; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Alex Cobb (38) should have been re-signed. / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

No. 2 mistake the LA Angels have already made this offseason: Not re-signing Alex Cobb

Alex Cobb was very good for the LA Angels last year, and should have been brought back. He was a 3.76 ERA pitcher who recorded a 2.92 FIP while also posting a 119 ERA+. He's improved each of the past two years, and was a guy who wanted to be back.

Instead of making his wish come true, the club decided to let him go to the Giants, and for a very low price. How he signed a two-year/$20 million deal for a team other than the Angels blows my mind. One of our one-year deals for starting pitching finally worked out, and we decided not to take advantage and bring him back on a cheap deal that he was clearly willing to take.

Sure, Cobb dealt with injuries last year, but came back and was healthy for the end of the season. He's good to go, and we didn't get the job done. Teams like the Giants are building great rotations while the Angels are lagging behind.

The only other move they've made for starters is Michael Lorenzen, who's significantly better in the bullpen anyway.

Sep 15, 2021; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Robbie Ray (38) was a free agent the LA Angels let slip away.
Sep 15, 2021; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Robbie Ray (38) was a free agent the LA Angels let slip away. / Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

No. 1 mistake the LA Angels have already made this offseason: Letting Robbie Ray slip away

The LA Angels were reportedly in on 2021 AL Cy Young winner Robbie Ray, but watched him slip from their hands when push came to shove. To make matters even worse, Ray signed with our AL West rival, the Seattle Mariners. You would think we'd have learned from our blunder with Verlander, but instead we let another Ace who we were supposed to sign, link up with one of our rivals.

Ray would have been a force for our Angels, as he had one of the best bounce backs we've seen in recent memory last year. He led the American League with a 2.84 ERA and led the Majors with 248 strikeouts.

The Halos were a poor team defensively last season, so having a high-strikeout guy like that would have made a strong difference on our squad.

Now, the Halos will need to look to the trade market for a pitcher of Ray's quality, but that would likely force them to trade Brandon Marsh. These mistakes have put the Halos in a tough spot for starting pitching. They have a solid one through four with Shohei Ohtani, Syndergaard, Sandoval, and Suarez, but there's a lot of uncertainty for those last two spots.

Next. Projecting our Opening Day starting rotation during lockout. dark

Hopefully this lockout ends soon so the candidates for these last two spots will have enough time to develop, and give the Angels a chance. They already have one of the best lineups in the American League. The rotation is what may make or break this season.

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