MLB Insider links Shohei Ohtani and three other top-25 free agents to the LA Angels

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The number one goal the Los Angeles Angels have, of course, is to bring back Shohei Ohtani. This comes as little surprise considering the fact that he's the best player in baseball. The Angels should be doing whatever it takes to convince him to stay, and Mark Feinsand of MLB.com seems to think they have a shot at doing so in his free agency predictions. The Angels are listed as one of four fits for Shohei's services alongside the Dodgers, Giants, and Mets.

It's encouraging to see the Angels linked to Shohei, but there's still more work to be done whether he stays or goes. After all, this is still a team that won just 73 games with him playing at an MVP level and has failed to record a single winning season with him on the roster.

Feinsand has the Angels linked to three additional top-25 free agents. No, the team won't land all four, but any combination would certainly be upgrades over what the team has right now.

1) Josh Hader

The Angels bullpen is once again a mess. Carlos Estevez was brought in to be the team's closer in 2023 and in the first half, he was among the best closers in the American League. He was even named to his first all-star team. Unfortunately, he melted down in the second half along with most of his teammates, making the question of whether the team should replace him in that role a very real one.

Alongside Estevez, there isn't much here. There are young guys like Jose Soriano, Ben Joyce, and Sam Bachman who all came up this season and showed flashes, but they're far from proven and are all injury risks. Reliable arms who were here at points of this past season including Matt Moore and Reynaldo Lopez are free agents. The bullpen was among baseball's worst in 2023 in terms of ERA and blown saves, and could be there again without major help. Josh Hader would provide a major boost.

Hader has established himself as one of, if not the best closer in all of baseball. His 2023 season speaks for itself. He had a 1.28 ERA in 61 appearances, recording 33 saves in 38 tries. He was one rare bright spot on a disappointing Padres team.

As great as he'd be, he's going to cost a ton, and relievers can be extremely volatile. Even Hader has had his moments where he suddenly can't find the range. Additionally, he's going to cost a draft pick due to the fact that he has the qualifying offer attached. Some free agents are worth that added tag, but I'm not sure a reliever qualifies.

There are pros and cons to Hader. He'd make them better, but does he truly make a big enough impact? That will remain to be seen if he did choose to come here. Feinsand has the Phillies and Rangers, two contenders with bullpen issues, linked to Hader as well.

2) J.D. Martinez

J.D. Martinez would act as the Shohei Ohtani replacement. If Ohtani returns, it'd make no sense to pursue Martinez who is strictly a DH at this stage of his career. If he doesn't return, the Angels can't do any better replacing his production. He's not Shohei offensively, nobody is, but he's the second-best bat available in free agency.

Martinez would've been the Angels second-best hitter this past season even with the fact that he missed 49 games due to injury. Injuries are a concern for the 36-year-old, but he's the kind of impact bat the team would need if they lost Ohtani.

A plus to signing an older player like J.D. is he wouldn't require the long-term commitment many other free agents would while still being a productive player. If for some reason Martinez regresses heavily, the Angels would be done with him either at the end of the season or the following year. It's hard to imagine a 36-year-old DH getting more than two guaranteed years even with how good Martinez is.

Once Ohtani signs, I'm sure there will be several teams interested in the veteran. If Ohtani doesn't return to Anaheim, I'm sure the Angels will be one of them. Feinsand has the Dodgers and Mets as potential landing spots for Martinez in addition to the Angels. Both the Dodgers and Mets are expected to be big players in the Ohtani sweepstakes, so it'd make sense for whoever loses out to try and land J.D.

3) Marcus Stroman

Both Hader and Martinez have been linked to the Angels at certain points already this offseason. It makes sense as both would fill a need. Another need the Angels have is starting pitching. Even if Ohtani returns, he won't be able to pitch in 2024 after undergoing Tommy John Surgery. The Halos would need to sign at least one, and maybe even two starters to make their rotation somewhat adequate without Shohei.

The best free agent starters are guys like Blake Snell, Aaron Nola, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, but they're all going to get nine-figure deals. One or two of those guys could even get up to $200 million in a contract. The chances of the Angels going that high on a free agent not named Shohei Ohtani are probably slim.

The next tier of pitchers would probably be the one that has Marcus Stroman in it. He's not going to win a Cy Young most likely like a Blake Snell, but he can be a frontline starter. He's a durable innings eater at his worst, and is an ace of a playoff team at his best.

Stroman did have some struggles in the second half and missed time due to injury, but he's made at least 25 starts with at least 130 innings pitched in six of the last seven full seasons (excluding 2020). During that time he has the 12th most innings pitched of all pitchers and the 10th best ERA among pitchers with at least 1,000 innings.

Stroman would come cheaper and for less term than many of the other high-end starters on the list. He's not better than them, but he'd also instantly become the best starting pitcher in this rotation. Had the Cubs sold he could've been a player the Angels pursued at the deadline.

Feinsand has the Cubs and Cardinals listed in addition to the Angels as potential Stroman fits. I'm sure plenty of teams will be interested once the market starts diminishing a bit.

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MLB Insider links Shohei Ohtani and three other top-25 free agents to the Angels

1) Josh Hader

2) J.D. Martinez

3) Marcus Stroman

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