4 Angels free agents who will leave, 1 who might return in 2024

The Los Angeles Angels need change. That much is very clear. The team has gone through eight consecutive losing seasons and nine straight without a playoff berth. The Angels thought they built a team capable of at least making a run at the playoffs for the first time in Shohei Ohtani's tenure, but they collapsed immediately after buying at the deadline and are watching their division rivals battle it out for the AL Pennant.

As if things couldn't get worse, Shohei Ohtani is one of several free agents the Angels have to make decisions on. With Ohtani, it might not even be their decision. They could offer him the most money possible and still watch him walk out of the door.

Ohtani is just one free agent the Angels need to make a decision on. There are more that will leave as the Angels go younger and one that could find his way back.

Shohei Ohtani will leave in free agency

It pains me. It truly does. Why at this point would Ohtani stay if he wants to win? The Angels have proven absolutely nothing to him that they're capable of building a winner and have their GM still around. Surrounding Ohtani is a group of some nice young players, an aging Mike Trout, and a disastrous Anthony Rendon contract. The path for the Angels being good in two or three years is there, but will Ohtani be patient? Will the Angels build it right?

In addition to the winning concerns, how likely is it that the notoriously frugal (in terms of big market owners) Arte Moreno outbids big market giants in Los Angeles or New York. The Dodgers and Mets have not been shy at all when it comes to spending money and seem to be desperate enough to land Shohei. The Dodgers keep getting knocked out early in the postseason and the Mets didn't even get there in 2023.

The chances of Moreno offering the most money AND the Angels convincing Ohtani they can win feel slim at best. Constructing post-Ohtani lineups might be your best bet.

C.J. Cron will leave in free agency

C.J. Cron was acquired alongside Randal Grichuk at the trade deadline and like Grichuk, gave the Angels absolutely nothing in August. Cron, in his second go around with the Angels, was initially hitting third with Mike Trout injured but wasn't doing much to help produce any offense.

After appearing in just 13 games for the Angels and doing very little, Cron re-aggrivated a back injury that had already caused him to miss time this season and would go on to miss substantial time. He'd return for one game in September before going back on the IL to finish out the year.

In Cron's absence, Nolan Schanuel was promoted and made an immediate impact. Schanuel reached base in every game he played and looked as comfortable as ever operating out of the leadoff spot despite being drafted earlier this year.

With Schanuel now in the majors, there's. no reason for the Angels to bring Cron back. Even if OHtani leaves and the DH spot is vacant, the Angels can either find a better bat than Cron or use guys like Rendon and Trout out of that spot to try adn keep them healthy. Cron provides no versatility and hasn't been anything special offensively outside of Colorado.

With Cron's track record, he can presumably find fairly regular playing time either at first base or at DH somewhere. Hopefully he can have better luck than he did in his second Angels stint.

Gio Urshela will leave in free agency

This one I'm a bit bummed about because I really liked Gio Urshela when healthy. He showed incredible versatility, making appearances at all four infield positions for the Angels this season. He was a capable Anthony Rendon replacement at the Hot Corner and also saw regular playing time at certain points at both first base and shortstop.

While most of this Angels team was very home run happy, Urshela was able to focus on making contact and using all fields. He only hit two home runs for the Angels but he did well in the clutch and hit .299.

I'd love Urshela back in the same role the Angels had him in this season. He'd be the Anthony Rendon replacement for when he lands on the IL, and he'd fill in all over the place in the infield. Urshela's contact profile was fun to watch and his defense, especially at third base, was extraordinary.

Gio watching his season end after just 62 games definitely hurt the Angels and his free agency value, but he should still find more guaranteed playing time elsewhere than he would with the Angels. He's become a really solid hitter to pair with that elite glove. I'm sure the Angels would be open to bringing him back, but if Urshela is open to operating out of a reserve role, my guess is he'd want to do that for a contending team. The Angels, unfortunately, are not that.

Mike Moustakas might return in 2024

Of all of the trades the Angels made this season, Mike Moustakas was one of the better acquisitions. His numbers don't jump off the page but he provided power when needed, hit a bunch of clutch home runs, and filled in the leadership void this team desperately missed without him.

Moustakas was an instant fan favorite once he arrived in Anaheim, and he himself is a Southern California Native. There's a good chance he's happy staying home in a mentorship role and the fans would certainly welcome him back.

Moustakas wouldn't be given an everyday role, but he too can be the Anthony Rendon replacement at third base if need be while also playing a solid first base when Nolan Schanuel needs a day. This team, even when going young, needs veteran leadership. Moose provides that perfectly.

Moustakas didn't cost much in the trade that got him here, and he wouldn't cost much in free agency to bring him back. Depth is always crucial in a 162-game season, and bringing one in with as much experience as Moustakas who connected with the young guys perfectly would be the right step towards helping to change the culture in Anaheim. He's a proven winner who has seen just about any situation in MLB.

Bringing Moustakas back on a one-year deal for a part-time role feels like a rare no-brainer for Perry Minasian.