3 starting pitchers the LA Angels should target after losing Shohei Ohtani

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The reality is upon us, Shohei Ohtani is now on the Dodgers, however, that doesn’t leave the Los Angeles Angels completely out of it. There is still significant work for the team to do this off-season which starts with replacing Ohtani with another ace. Here are some pitchers that could fill that void and help settle the rotation for years to come.

1) Tyler Glasnow

Now, trading for a rental is something that many fans might be scared of with the young core already in the majors, but I don’t think the Angels have to give up a huge haul. Glasnow will be making $25 million for the 2024 season and the Rays do not want to pay that hence why they are shopping him.

The Angels can easily take on that contract while also giving the Rays some controllable players like Patrick Sandoval and possibly a prospect like Nelson Rada (#3 prospect) or Kyren Paris (#5 prospect). If I were Angels general manager Perry Minasian then I would not hesitate to make the move just because the team has a good amount of middle infielders and really needs to impress the Rays even with a barren farm system.

The team also has enough pitching depth to sustain a loss like Sandoval as he hasn’t been able to take that next step for the team. Last season, Sandoval pitched to a 4.11 ERA in 144.2 innings of work, there is a lot to like about him as he has a really good change-up and the Rays may help elevate him to his potential, something the Angels haven’t done.

For the Angels, they would be getting a pitcher who has proven that his stuff is some of the best in the game. Even in the limited amount of games he pitched in due to injury, he still put up 120 innings, just 20 under Sandoval. He is also set to be a free agent after the 2024 season, so he has a good reason to perform well.

2) Yoshinobu Yamamoto

After the departure of Ohtani, the Angels may have some difficulty acquiring this Japanese ace, but he would certainly help accelerate the team's plans of competing. The baseball world got to see Yamamoto’s talent in the World Baseball Classic as he pitched two games (one in relief) for a total of 7.1 innings and only gave up 2 runs with 12 strikeouts.

During the 2023 season in Japan, Yamamoto showcased why he is so coveted as he put up a stellar 1.16 ERA in 171 innings of work with 176 strikeouts to go along with. The Japanese right-hander is highly sought after so it would be hard for the Angels to land him. Possibly add in the lack of success the team had with Ohtani and it would make sense why Yamamoto would not want to sign here. Also, add in the possibility that Angels owner Arte Moreno may be done dipping into the Japanese market with some hostility toward Ohtani signing with the rival Dodgers.

It would be a long shot for the Angels to land another Japanese phenom just based on where the team is at right now and how they handled Ohtani. However, if they could convince Yamamoto to buy into their young core, they could land an ace that can grow with the team.

3) Blake Snell

This to me makes the most sense for the Angels as it would probably fit right up Arte Moreno’s alley when it comes to revenue and the team's playstyle. Snell has always been a player not afraid to speak his mind as he also streams video games during his free time. He dawns the nickname Snellzilla which could ring in lots of opportunities for the team to do promotions.

Promoting aside, Snell is no doubt a great pitcher as he is coming off his second Cy Young award with the Padres. He yielded a league-leading 2.25 ERA in 180 innings of work. The downside is that he also led the league with 99 walks which is something that may scare teams. But if he can manipulate it to his advantage and have good defense behind him it won’t be a bother.

When I mentioned playstyle I mean that the Angels will probably let Snell do whatever he wants in terms of going out there for another inning. In an article that Snell personally wrote, he mentions a time on the Rays when he was taken out and he felt it was too early. He writes “In my head I’m like, Man, I’m making history out here. I’ve never been this good against such a great team. Why is this man warming up now?”

Does it make sense why I said playstyle? The Angels let Ohtani do whatever seemed right to him and the same might go with Snell which is why he might want to sign here. Either way, the team needs an ace at the head of the rotation and even Snell would fit that category.

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3 starting pitchers the Angels should target after losing Shohei Ohtani

1) Tyler Glasnow

2) Yoshinobu Yamamoto

3) Blake Snell

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