Report: Angels eyeing Cy Young winner in free agency

Apr 15, 2020; Anaheim, California, USA; General overall view of the Los Angeles Angels logo at Angel Stadium of Anaheim amid the global coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY NETWORK

The Los Angeles Angels may be aiming big as they look ahead to the post-Shohei Ohtani era.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports this weekend that the Angels have checked in on top free agent starter Blake Snell. Rosenthal adds that the Angels have also done so with ex-All-Star outfielder Teoscar Hernandez.

Doing their due diligence on the best available options on the market makes sense for the Angels, who have the money to spend after Ohtani left in free agency for the rival Los Angeles Dodgers. Snell, in particular, would be a major box-office get coming off his NL Cy Young Award-winning 2023 campaign with the San Diego Padres.

But the Angels should also be cautious given their historically awful track record with signing 30-something free agents to large contracts based off past production with other teams. It happened previously with the likes of Albert Pujols, CJ Wilson, and Josh Hamilton, and it continues to happen with current Angels like Anthony Rendon and Tyler Anderson.

The Halos do need a rotation upgrade with no true ace on the roster now that Ohtani has left (and wouldn’t have pitched in 2024 anyway). But maybe they will be protected from themselves by the fact that Snell, 31, is favored to land with a different California team instead.