Angels free agent reunions: 1 possibility, 1 definitely not happening, 1 in between

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Often times when players leave the Los Angeles Angels, fans are forced to watch them have more success elsewhere. Players doing well before and after they come to Anaheim has become much too familiar of an occurrence.

When players leave the Angels most of the time, fans want no part in bringing them back. However, there're always some rare exceptions.

Because of how many players the Angels parted with, the list of potential reunion candidates for this offseason is quite long. Since most of them failed to meet expectations, the Angels will likely not consider bringing those guys back. Again, there are still some exceptions of players they'd be happy to bring back in 2024.

Expect the LA Angels to heavily pursue Matt Moore in free agency

The Angels signed Matt Moore close to Spring Training and got everything they could've possibly hoped out of him. He was their most consistent reliever all year until the team waived him when they fell out of contention, and is one of the better arms on the market.

The Angels need a ton of bullpen help. Carlos Estevez figures to play a huge role again in 2024, but who knows how trustworthy he really is after a brutal second half. The Angels also have young arms including Jose Soriano, Ben Joyce, and Sam Bachman who showed clear upside in their stints with the team this season, but were also inconsistent and have injury histories.

In addition to the Angels simply needing arms, they also need a left-handed reliever. Outside of guys like Jose Suarez and Kenny Rosenberg who aren't even really relievers, the Angels lack any left-handed arms. Moore is a lefty who can pitch late in games against both lefties and righties and can even give more than an inning if needed.

The Angels made their share of mistakes in 2023, but signing Matt Moore was certainly not one of them. Bringing him back in 2024 if he's open to it is a no-brainer for Perry Minasian.

The Hunter Renfroe experiment didn't work at all for either side

Hunter Renfroe was one of, if not the biggest addition the team made last offseason. He was acquired in a trade with the Brewers and was expected to slide in perfectly in the middle of the Angels order behind Mike Trout, Shohei Ohtani, and Anthony Rendon.

Renfroe got off to a good start in April, but really cooled down as the season progressed. He was one of very few Angels who was able to stay healthy, but after May 1 he contributed very little offensively.

Renfroe was one of the most consistent power hitters in the game for a while, but his power production took a step back with the Halos. He was miserable with runners in scoring position, and only really seemed to be productive in games that had a lopsided score.

The Angels could use a guy like Renfroe to either play right field against lefties in a platoon with Mickey Moniak, and/or DH a lot if Shohei Ohtani leaves. A guy with Renfroe's track record would actually be a solid fit if he was willing to accept a slightly reduced role. Unfortunately, his major struggles with the Angels should turn the team away from even giving him a call. It simply wasn't the right fit.

The LA Angels could use a starter like Andrew Heaney, but should aim higher

Andrew Heaney spent parts of seven years with the Angels, but it never quite felt like he lived up to his potential. The strikeouts were always there, but he battled through a bevy of injuries and was nothing more than a fourth or fifth starter. As is the case with many starters, Heaney went to the Dodgers and something clicked for him. He missed time due to injury, but had his best year by far right before he hit free agency again.

Heaney signed a two-year deal to join the Rangers this past offseason, and he again had one of his better years. He was able to stay healthy and produced like a mid-rotation starter for most of the year.

The Rangers even watched Heaney deliver five innings of one-run ball in a World Series start leading Texas to a Game 4 victory over the Diamondbacks. If you asked any Angels fan three years ago whether they could picture Heaney starting and pitching well in a World Series game they'd probably laugh.

Heaney has a player option which he will likely reject and reach free agency again. If he does, the Angels should consider him, but they'd ideally find a way to do better.

Whether Shohei Ohtani leaves or not, this team lacks an ace with Ohtani being unable to pitch in 2024. The rotation was subpar even with Ohtani, it's hard to imagine what it'll be like without him. Heaney is a decent arm to plug in the middle, but the Angels need someone to go at the top. Heaney is not that, but he'd still be a decent add.

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