Why the Angels might be hesitant to be big spenders this offseason

This offseason in Major League Baseball might be the weirdest in recent memory. The Los Angeles Angels did lose Shohei Ohtani, but is it better in the long term? The free agency market is not at all deep at any position this year. Just look how much Lucas Giolito signed for in Boston!

The 2024-2025 MLB free agency class may end up being the richest on record. Starting pitchers include Shane Bieber of the Cleveland Guardians, Corbin Burnes of the Milwaukee Brewers, and possibly, Gerrit Cole, who can opt out of his remaining contract with the New York Yankees after next season. Big-time position players include José Altuve and Alex Bregman of the Houston Astros, Willy Adames of the Brewers, and "Polar Bear" Pete Alonso of the New York Mets. Those are huge impact players at the plate and in the field with postseason experience and success.

It's possible we don't see the Angels spend as much money as we thought this offseason

The Angels have almost a clean slate when it comes to contracts by the end of the 2024 season. Zach Neto, Reid Detmers, Ben Joyce, and Nolan Schanuel would highlight a young core to build around. I know this is not what many want to hear, including myself, as an Angels fan, but is that the smarter move? Waiting for a 2024-2025 reset? Would you trade Mike Trout? The answer to that in my opinion is no, but who knows what happens in a year.

The Angels had a chance to sign Cole his last go around in free agency being from Southern California. Angel Stadium is a much friendlier hitter's ballpark than Citi Field in Queens for Pete Alonso. Manager Ron Washington is one of the best fielding coaches in Major League Baseball which could entice an Adames or any other above-average fielder.

Oh, yes, I didn't forget. Arte Moreno could sell the team next offseason. The attempts to create a new ballpark in Orange County or upgrade Angel Stadium have been slow going to say the least. Orange County property is expensive with many fans still upset Moreno changed the team city to Los Angeles from Anaheim. I'm not going to get into all the money fixtures of that. The stadium has been around a half of a century. When you visit Petco Park San Diego or the new Globe Life in Arlington, the Angels are very much behind.

We will see in the next week if the Angels will be big spenders this offseason, but it's very possible that doesn't end up being the case. They might be better off waiting for better players.