5 Angels free agent targets who could be great candidates to get their mojo back in 2024

The Los Angeles Angels are a team trying to get their mojo back. After their 73-89 finish to the 2023 season, the Halos have now completed eight straight losing seasons and haven't been to the postseason since 2014. This is despite rostering arguably the two best players in baseball in that span in Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani.

This offseason is one of the biggest in franchise history with Shohei Ohtani's future in the balance. Ohtani has the ability to go anywhere he wants with him reaching free agency. While the dream is to bring him back, the Angels will still have to fill out a competent roster around him.

We know Arte Moreno won't spend to the levels of other big market owners, so the Angels will have to find another way to bring value in. Signing guys who have been good in the past but might have seen their value lessen in recent years is one way to do that. These five free agents will be looking to get their mojo back on short-term deals this offseason

1) Luis Severino

When healthy, Luis Severino is one of the more electric arms in all of baseball. His stuff is that good, The problem is he's rarely been healthy. The right-hander has made 20+ starts just twice in his career, and hasn't done it once since the 2018 season.

In the years Severino makes his starts, he's been a legitimate frontline arm. He made the all-star team in both 2017 and 2018 for the Yankees and finished in the top-10 in AL Cy Young balloting both seasons. Even in 2022 when he was limited to 19 starts he posted a 3.18 ERA in 102 innings pitched. The potential is there, but so is the risk and it doesn't help that he's coming off such a dreadful year.

Severino posted an unfathomable 6.65 ERA in 19 appearances (18 starts) this season for the Yankees. He allowed 23 home runs in just 89.1 innings pitched and simply never looked right all year.

The 29-year-old is going to want to re-establish himself as a pitcher not only who can stay healthy, but one that can be productive. The Angels giving him a year to try and make that happen would be worthwhile. If he doesn't pan out, he's gone after the season. If he does, the team is better for it. It'd be a win-win for both sides.

2) Andrew Chafin

Andrew Chafin was one of the best left-handed relievers in all of baseball in both 2021 and 2022. When right, he's a guy who can be used against both lefties and righties and fits in perfectly late in games.

This Angels bullpen needs help, particularly from the left side. Outside of Carlos Estevez, the Angels lack any sort of experienced late-game arm. Chafin would provide that. Outside of guys like Jose Suarez, Kenny Rosenberg, and Kolton Ingram, the Angels lack left-handed reliever options. Chafin would provide that as well.

The issue with this 33-year-old is he's coming off such a down year. He had a 4.73 ERA in 63 appearances with the Diamondbacks and Brewers, and he wound up having struggles in both spots.

Chafin pitched so poorly for the Diamondbacks to the point where he was traded at the deadline despite the team being squarely in postseason contention and having a subpar bullpen. The team that acquired him, the Brewers, saw him pitch so poorly to the point where he was left off of their postseason roster.

The Angels wouldn't be getting Chafin off a good year, but this means he can give them good value. He posted a sub-2.00 ERA in 2021 and a sub-3.00 ERA in 2022 as the primary left-handed reliever for whatever teams he was on. With how volatile relievers can be, betting on a bounceback isn't a bad play.

4) Rhys Hoskins

Rhys Hoskins only makes sense if Shohei Ohtani leaves in free agency. If Ohtani leaves, the Angels will have a gaping hole at the designated hitter spot. Sure, the Angels could plug in one of their veterans like Mike Trout or Anthony Rendon at the DH spot, but they can also sign an external free agent to try and add a spark to this lineup.

Hoskins was a staple at first base for the Phillies from 2017-2022. He established himself as a hitter who draws a ton of walks and can hit for a ton of power. He's hit as many as 34 home runs in a season and has walked as many as 116 times in a season.

Hoskins is an incredibly streaky hitter which Angels fans probably won't love, but when he's on, he's very good. He can fit at the top of the order with his on-base ability, and can also fit in the middle with his power.

While many players on this list are coming off down years, Hoskins is one looking to get his mojo back because of injury. He missed the entire 2023 season after tearing his ACL in Spring Training. When last seen he hit 30 home runs for the Phillies in 2022 and hit many clutch postseason home runs on their way to winning the NL Pennant.

The Angels don't need Hoskins to play first with Nolan Schanuel here, but if Shohei Ohtani leaves they could really use another bat. There is no replacing Ohtani in the lineup, but Hoskins is at the very least a good hitter the Angels can stick in their lineup.

5) Frankie Montas

Frankie Montas missed most of the 2023 season as well due to injury. He made one appearance, and it came in Game 161 for the Yankees. New York acquired Montas at the 2022 trade deadline but he struggled and dealt with injuries his entire time there, drastically lowering his value.

At the time the Yankees acquired him, Montas had established himself as a quality frontline starter. He finished sixth in the AL Cy Young balloting in 2021 and had a 3.18 ERA in 19 starts before the A's dealt him in 2022. Montas has always pitched well against the Angels and particularly at Angel Stadium in his career (2.00 ERA in seven appearances in Anaheim). He's familiar with the AL West from his Oakland days, and is just 30 years old.

Montas felt like a pitcher the Angels might've pursued prior to the 2022 season as the team needed rotation help and Oakland said he was available, but nothing came to fruition. This is their chance to sign him for nothing more than money as they once again need rotation help.

The Angels won't be expecting him to be the all-star caliber pitcher he was for the A's, but if he can find a way to stay healthy there's every reason to believe he can get close to that level.