The Angels' chances of signing Pete Alonso seem less likely with every passing day

New York Mets v Los Angeles Angels
New York Mets v Los Angeles Angels | Brandon Sloter/GettyImages

The Angels fans who desperately want Pete Alonso are not going to be happy with what they are reading and hearing of late. The slugger's sweepstakes sure felt like it was going to be a race to a nine-figure deal between the three known clubs that are reportedly in on him. It now appears that the drawn-out process is simply a formality and the most obvious scenario will take place -- he will return home and re-sign with the New York Mets, thus spurning the Toronto Blue Jays (poor Blue Jays fans) and Los Angeles Angels.

ESPN MLB insider, Jeff Passan, appeared on "The Michael Kay Show" and speculated that the Angels could still land the Polar Bear, thus continuing his trend of mentioning them as a possible destination. However, he dismissed that notion for several reasons:

"There's a possibility that another team -- I don't know who it is at this point. Maybe it's the Los Angeles Angels, maybe it's the Toronto Blue Jays, whoever it may be -- steps in and gives him the sort of money that the Mets are not willing to. But the longer this thing plays out, the more it feels like a return just makes sense for everybody involved...Pete Alonso doesn't want to go play on a team that's not going to be in contention...he's 30-years-old now, and so it's time to start winning. It's time to go get a ring. You're not getting a ring with the Angels."
Jeff Passan

Reporters and insiders have had every opportunity to pivot off of their stance of that Alonso re-signing with the Mets is the most likely outcome. They had the chance when a New York-based baseball personality said that the Jays were on the "10-yard line," they had the chance when there was a supposed meeting between the Angels and Alonso, and they had the chance when Steve Cohen called the negotiations "exhausting." Despite Cohen getting more bogged-down by the Alonso process than Soto's, the Mets continue to make contact and the mutual interest remains. Based on Passan's comments, there remains a possibility where the Angels out-bid the Mets but still lose out.

There's still a chance, and it all comes down to the whims and decrees of Arte Moreno. If Perry Minasian and Moreno somehow can best David Stearns and Cohen in these negotiations, it would feel like an absolute miracle. Moreno has scaled back his long history of shelling out big-money contracts, but continues to not fully consider what his front office believes is best. A split camp on Alonso might mean that the front office does not want him, and Moreno does. If that is the case, then the Angels could have better odds that how it currently appears. He's capable of anything.

The risk of Moreno going rogue and signing Alonso despite what his staffers want is slightly terrifying. Furthermore, the Angels bringing on Alonso during spring training and him subsequently having a down year (like what happened with Cody Bellinger and Jordan Montgomery), is equally scary. The outfield defense suffering because of the Alonso addition is not the best proposition, but at least the Angels roster a good amount of pitchers who generate ground balls! If the Angels do land the first baseman, it would still undoubtedly be a win for the franchise.

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