As we inch closer to the 2023 offseason, the Los Angeles Angels have seven pending that the front office will have to decide whether to bring them back or not. Two of these free agents have club options on their contracts, while the other five are unrestricted free agents.
The biggest free agent on the list, by far, is Shohei Ohtani. He's an Angels free agent the team will certainly want back, but how likely is it that he actually re-signs?
Here, we will rank how likely it is that Ohtani and the six other free agents remain with the ballclub past this season.
7) C.J. Cron
C.J. Cron is the only player the Angels acquired at the trade deadline that they didn't put on waivers. That could mean they like him, which I'm sure they do, but it likely has more to do with the fact that he was hurt.
Cron was acquired in the deal alongside Randal Grichuk at the deadline and hasn't made any sort of impact. He has just 10 hits in 50 at-bats and only one of those hits left the ballpark. He's been limited to just 15 games due to his back injury, and has no spot for next season.
Nolan Schanuel has gotten off to a fantastic start to his MLB career and looks like the first baseman of he future. Cron could DH if Shohei Ohtani leaves, but I think the Angels will prioritize getting guys like Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon more DH at-bats instead of just committing to one guy who wouldn't play anywhere else.
It would've been nice for Cron to succeed in his second tour of duty with the Angels, but he's done next to nothing since they acquired him, and the chances they keep him feel slim to none.
Chances the LA Angels re-sign C.J. Cron: 1/10