Sky high free agent prices mean Angels should pivot to this trade target

The staggeringly high price tags attached to free agent starting pitchers could benefit the Angels in a round-about way. It's highly unlikely that the Angels are going to sign a Corbin Burnes, Jack Flaherty, or Nick Pivetta, but their future contracts could allow them to be more aggressive in trade talks if they truly want to bolster their rotation (they should want to, by the way). One pitcher who's reportedly on the block that the Angels should seriously consider trading for: Pablo López.

The Angels were way more likely to augment their 2025 roster via trades, so their spending spree thus far was nice to see. However, they are hitting a wall now. It's no surprise either, win-now players are getting contracts that are blowing projections out of the water. The trickle-down effect from the Juan Soto sweepstakes are changing the dynamic of the industry, and frugal owners like Arte Moreno do not stand a chance in the wild west that Steve Cohen and David Stearns created. It's awesome that the Angels landed Yusei Kikuchi, but if they really want to go all-in next season they really need more (on-paper) from their starting pitching. If somehow they were able to land López, their offseason would go from solid...to extraordinary.

The astronomically high starting pitching deals might force the Twins' hand and cause them to actually pull the trigger on a López trade, per ESPN's Jeff Passan. Passan mentioned that the Twins are taking calls on López, and that the gigantic money being committed to starting pitching this offseason would net them an absolute haul in return for their marquee starter. The 28-year-old's four-year, $73.5 million deal is looking like a STEAL. Furthermore, with their roster and ownership in flux, the Twins are a perfect candidate for selling high on their stars. For what it's worth -- in the same section of the article where he discussed López, Passan mentioned that Josh Naylor, Nathaniel Lowe, and Jesus Luzardo might be on the move. They all were, in fact, dealt.

So, how willing is Perry Minasian to deplete his farm system? There's a case to be made that the time to trade Caden Dana is now, and it has nothing to do with his underwhelming results from 2024. The Angels drafted Dana in the 11th round of the 2022 MLB Draft, and turned him into their no. 1 prospect. Cashing in on Dana now could be viewed as premature, no doubt. However, others might view a Dana-led package for three years of López as a testament to the Player Development and Amateur Scouting departments, that they were able to turn an 11th round pick into the main piece of a trade for an ace.

How good is López? How much time you got?

Dana is an amazing talent at 21-years-old, but would his career even turn into that of a Pablo López? Prospects are coin flips, and López is more than established as a preeminent talent. López was one of the best pitchers in baseball the past two seasons. His 2024 season was incredible, granted his 2023 season certainly overshadowed it. He sports a five-pitch mix: a mid-90s four-seam with a unique profile, a sweeper with picturesque shape, a changeup with extreme arm-side run, a 12-6 curveball, and a sinker that he sprinkles in to right-handers from time-to-time. He has one of the longest extensions in baseball, which plays up his velocity, deception, and movement. He does not walk batters, in large part due to his ability to generate a ton of chases outside the strike zone. The Angels are showing that they want better fastballs on their staff, and López has one of the best amongst all starting pitchers.

The Angels have built up their farm system for some time now. If they are serious about winning anytime soon, they should consider cashing in some chips for López, his team-friendly contract, and #1 starter capability.

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