Potential LA Angels free agents after the 2023 season

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The list of Los Angeles Angels free agents is not long for this offseason. The headliner is Michael Lorenzen who's nothing more than a back-end starter and is now a Tiger. Guys like Matt Duffy, Archie Bradley, and Kurt Suzuki are on the list as well.

The list for the 2023 offseason is a little longer with much bigger names. It includes multiple pieces to what we hope is a playoff team for this season.

Here're the players who could be entering free agency after the 2023 campaign.

1) Potential LA Angels free agents after the 2023 season: Shohei Ohtani

Everybody knows that Shohei Ohtani is going to be a free agent after the 2023 season. The ideal scenario here is he signs an extension with the Angels that keeps him with the organization for his entire career, but that's obviously unlikely for right now.

The Angels are going to have to prove to him that they're able to be the competitive team they promised him they'd be if they have any chance at retaining him.

If they are unable to extend, my position has always been to trade him to not lose the value he'd bring in with a big trade.

After seeing the contract Aaron Judge signed and how much starting pitchers are getting paid, Ohtani has no reason to extend with any team, let alone the Angels, before free agency.

Ohtani is going to get the largest contract a player has ever received and will deserve every penny. My hope is it comes from the Angels.

2) Potential LA Angels free agents after the 2023 season: Hunter Renfroe

The Angels traded for Hunter Renfroe from the Brewers to fill what I believe was their biggest hole, corner outfield. Renfroe provides legitimate power and is a middle-of-the-order bat pitchers fear. They didn't give much up for him, making the trade a great one.

The reason the Angels did not have to give much of anything up for a guy you can pencil in to hit 25+ home runs is because he's entering his final year of team control.

Renfroe will be 31 by Opening Day and is already not the best defender despite having a cannon of an arm. If he performs well offensively, it's very possible the Halos bring him back.

3) Potential LA Angels free agents after the 2023 season: Gio Urshela

The other big trade the Angels made was trading for Gio Urshela from the Twins. Urshela's fit is hard to see on paper because he's a third baseman with limited experience in the other infield spots but he was acquired to play all around the diamond. If/when Anthony Rendon gets hurt he'll play third base and when Rendon is healthy he'll play mostly first base. He's able to play both middle infield positions if need be.

Urshela, like Renfroe, was acquired with one more year of team control. A lot of if they'd be willing to bring him back depends on how his role as a utility man works out.

If Urshela is not a capable first baseman or capable in the other positions it's hard to see the fit as Rendon is the third baseman for the foreseeable future.

The Angels need Urshela, his bat in particular, so let's hope they have the desire to bring him back after the season.

4) Potential LA Angels free agents after the 2023 season: Aaron Loup

Last offseason, the Angels made a big effort to bolster their bullpen. They signed Raisel Iglesias to a massive four-year deal only to trade him at the deadline of the first year. They also signed two veterans coming off of outstanding seasons in 2021.

Aaron Loup was the first reliever the Angels signed, inking him on a two-year $17 million dollar deal. He makes $7.5 million dollars annually with a third year being a club option worth another $7.5 million dollars with a $2 million dollar buyout.

Loup wasn't horrible but he wasn't anywhere in the same stratosphere of being as good as he was in 2021. He wasn't the high leverage arm the Angels desperately needed.

It's possible Loup has another great year as relievers can be very volatile but at his age it seems unlikely. The likely outcome here is the Angels decline his club option.

5) Potential LA Angels free agents after the 2023 season: Ryan Tepera

The other reliever signed last offseason was Ryan Tepera. He signed a two-year $14 million dollar deal with no option for a third year. He will be a free agent after the year.

Tepera was also coming off of an outstanding 2021 but saw his strikeout rate and his whiff rate in general take a big dive down.

Tepera wasn't awful but wasn't the guy they needed either late in games. He's going to have a big role again if the Halos don't sign anybody else so here's hoping he performs better.

Again, at his age, a massive bounceback seems unlikely and the likely scenario here is the Angels just let him go after the year.

Next. 3 Angels players we should raise the bar for in 2023. dark

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