3 remaining free agents the LA Angels should sign and 2 they should avoid

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The Los Angeles Angels have been relatively inactive this offseason thus far. Yes, they've signed three relievers, but they all got cheap one-year deals and profile as nothing more than middle relievers at best.

This offseason has felt like one where the Angels would make at least one big move. Re-signing Shohei Ohtani was the obvious one, but he wound up with the Dodgers. There are still high-quality free agents left, but with action expected to finally pick up as we approach the new year, it's time for Perry Minasian to get going. These three free agents are ones he should sign while avoiding two others.

1) LA Angels should sign Justin Turner

Signing Justin Turner would fill two glaring holes the Angels have right now.; First, he'd be the team's primary DH. He excelled in that role for Boston this past season, and with Ohtani gone, the Angels need to add more thump into the middle of their order.

Turner might not stick out as a big run producer, but he hit 23 home runs with 96 RBI this past season for the Red Sox. He has five seasons in his career with 20+ home runs, including two of the last three. Obviously it's not Ohtani-level production, but Turner is still an outstanding run producer.

Additionally, he provides elite Anthony Rendon insurance. In year's past when we've had to see the Angels turn to subpar players to replace the injured Rendon, the team has collapsed. Having Justin Turner as his backup might not be the best defensively, but it certainly helps keep the Angels competitive offensively.

Turner is good enough to. be a DH but also provides enough defensive versatility to not handicap the position like Ohtani or a free agent like J.D. Martinez.

Turner is a clutch, veteran hitter who can help the Angels in many ways. The fact that he's 39 years old and won't require a monster deal is just an added bonus. He can be a crucial piece for this Angels team and if they're bad by the deadline, they can trade him for something decent in return.

2) LA Angels should sign Marcus Stroman

This Angels team needs pitching. There's no dancing around that. They had a subpar starting rotation even with Shohei Ohtani, and who knows what it'll look like without him. Sure, it can look much better if guys like Reid Detmers and Patrick Sandoval step up, but it's hard to expect that from them after down years in 2023.

The dream is to sign a solidified ace. Stroman is not that, but the perfect ace really isn't available. With Yoshinobu Yamamoto off the board, the two best pitchers available are Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery. Both of these pitchers would be strong additions if they pitched how they did in 2023, but both would require lengthy expensive deals and have too many question marks surrounding them.

Stroman's ceiling is not where Snells' or even Montgomery's is, but his floor is around or even higher than theirs. And the fact that he'd fetch a much cheaper deal seals it as the one the Angels should really be pursuing. There's always next offseason for this team to find an ace, and there's a good chance that even with Snell pitching like a Cy Young winner this team isn't going anywhere in 2024.

Stroman gives the Angels durability and an innings eater. He's made at least 25 starts in each of the last five full seasons (excluding 2020) with at least 135 innings of work and a sub-4.00 ERA each year. He doesn't have ace stuff, but gives the staff an added veteran presence and his ground ball style might mesh well with Ron Washington in town.

3) LA Angels should sign Matt Moore

It really is a no-brainer. Whether Moore would consider coming back to Anaheim after the team let him go in late-August this past season remains to be seen, but for the right offer it's hard to see him not consider it. Moore was an excellent fit in the Angels bullpen this past season, and would be a great fit in the same role in 2024.

Moore was Carlos Estevez's primary set-up man until the team let him go on waivers and he was excellent, posting a 2.66 ERA in 41 appearances. While there are real questions about how trustworthy Estevez can be as the team's closer, there are no questions about how good Matt Moore is. He works in a variety of roles including as a guy who can get both lefties and righties out while also recording more than three outs when necessary. Washington can use him in any situation and expect him to come through.

The only left-handed relievers in this Angels bullpen as of now is new addition Adam Kolarek, and Jose Suarez. Kolarek is far from a trustworthy late-game arm, and Suarez very well could be traded before the season begins. At least he should be. Moore fills a void as a needed late-game arm and adds the bonus of being left-handed.

The reliever market has been relatively quiet thus far. Moore is one of the better arms out there. If he entertains returning to Anaheim, Minasian should do what he can to get this done.

1) LA Angels should not sign Blake Snell

There are plenty of reasons why the Angels should sign Blake Snell, but there are also plenty of reasons why it would be a bad idea. The reasons why they shouldn't make him less intriguing than most Angels fans would hope, but the glaring need at the top of the rotation supersedes the bad for some.

With a Snell addition, the upside is obviously there. This is a guy who just won the NL Cy Young Award, and that's not even the only Cy Young he has on his ledger. When he's on, he's one of the best pitchers in the game and is extremely hard to hit. For a team in desperate need of an ace, signing a two-time Cy Young winner might feel like a no-brainer, but in the years he hasn't won it he's been a frustrating pitcher to watch.

In the four seasons between his Cy Young wins Snell had a 3.85 ERA in 85 starts. He never made more than 27 starts in a season and was nothing more than a mid-rotation arm. In fact, Snell's only seasons with 30+ starts have seen him walk home with a Cy Young award. He's coming off a season virtually impossible to repeat, and it'd be a letdown if he reverts back to that 2019-2022 form, it'd certainly be frustrating for Angels fans.

The Angels are simply not in the position to give Snell the contract he's going to get. Even if he's at his best, it doesn't push them to a playoff team. He's 31 years old and by the time the team is good, there's a good chance he'll be in decline. Yamamoto made so much sense because he's just 25 and fit in with the core better. This would feel like nothing more than a panic move which Arte Moreno is certainly known for.

2) LA Angels should not sign Cody Bellinger

Not only should the Angels avoid the best pitcher on the market, they should also avoid the best position player available. The reasons why are quite similar.

We all know how good Cody Bellinger is when he's going right. He won an MVP award back in 2019 and finished in the top ten this past season for the Cubs. His ceiling is phenominal, but his floor should terrify everyone. His seasons in 2021 and 2022 saw him slash .193/.256/.355 averaging 14 home runs and 52 RBI per season. He had a 66 OPS+ and was one of, if not the worst starting player in baseball.

His defense and base running made him a semi-decent player even when his bat was atrocious, but the Angels should not be paying anybody upwards of $150 million for decent play. It's simply too hard to rely on Bellinger to be the elite player we know he can be, and for a team that won't win a World Series even if he's at his best in 2024, that's reason enough to not do this.

Even a gamble on Snell makes more sense than Bellinger because the team desperately needs starting pitching. The Angels happen to have a solid outfield with Taylor Ward, Mike Trout, and Mickey Moniak, and have no need to take this kind of risk. It's all good if it pays off, but if the Angels wind up having another horrific contract on their hands, that makes things even harder for them to win down the line.

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