Report: Angels could aggressively pursue Max Scherzer as free agent

The Los Angeles Dodgers won the sweepstakes to land Max Scherzer at the trade deadline, but they’re going to have another fight on their hands if they want to retain him once he hits free agency.

According to MLB Network’s Jon Heyman, the Los Angeles Angels may be a “big player” for Scherzer in free agency. The team looked into acquiring him at the trade deadline despite their status as fringe contenders, and their interest does not appear to have faded.

The Angels may be a big player for Max Scherzer in winter as I just said on @MLBNetwork. It could be an LA-LA showdown. Even on outskirts of race, they looked into him as a rental so it makes sense they’d cover him as a free agent. And based on his trade list he clearly likes LA!

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) August 12, 2021

Scherzer had a strong preference to play on the West Coast when he was traded, so the Angels would fit geographically. However, the Dodgers are definitely closer to competing for World Series titles if that’s one of Scherzer’s main priorities.

Several other teams had trade interest in the 37-year-old Scherzer. It will be intriguing to see if any of them rekindle their interest in free agency as well.