Angels Pegged as 'Perfect Landing Spot' for All-Star in Free Agency
With the biggest dominoes felled, free agency should pick up as teams look to bolster their 2024 starting rotations. For the past several years, the Angels desperately needed starting pitching. This winter is no different.
One name to keep an eye on is Marcus Stroman. He's the owner of a 3.65 career ERA (116 ERA+) across parts of nine seasons with three teams, but has been overshadowed in this market by several less proven pitching talents.
An All-Star last season with the Chicago Cubs, Stroman could add stability to any team's rotation.Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report believes that the Angels and Stroman could be the perfect match for multiple years:
Perfect Landing Spot: Los Angeles AngelsGoing to the Angels on a multiyear deal could be a great fit, though.
Los Angeles tried to improve its rotation in free agency in each of the past two winters, signing Noah Syndergaard in 2021-22 and Tyler Anderson last offseason, but that staff still needs a lot of help. Adding Stroman as the possible ace would help the Angels replace that half of Shohei Ohtani's game while giving them a better chance to contend in the loaded AL West.
The 2023 season was a tale of two halves for Stroman. In his first 16 starts, he had a 2.28 ERA and worked himself into the Cy Young conversation. That led to his first All-Star game selection since 2019.
After the break, the wheels fell off. Stroman had an 8.29 ERA in his final 11 starts, interrupted by a rib cartilage fracture that sidelined Stroman for all of August. Those numbers suggest the injury impacted Stroman's performance down the stretch.
Despite the poor ending to his season, Stroman could still headline a rotation in 2024 assuming he returns to form. He induces ground balls at an elite rate and rarely beats himself with walks.
Concerns about Stroman's size (he's listed as 5-foot-7 and 180 pounds) have largely been answered. Only 20 pitchers have thrown more innings than Stroman since his 2014 debut. Of those, two (Adam Wainwright and Jon Lester) are retired, while another (Madison Bumgarner) seems unlikely to pitch in 2024.
After two seasons in Chicago, Stroman opted out of his 2024 player option for 2024 worth $21 million. It's safe to assume Stroman will seek a multi-year contract, or a one-year deal worth more than $21 million.
The Angels are one of several teams who could justify paying such a price, particularly if the rumors linking them to left-hander Blake Snell fail to come to fruition. should look in his direction to lock down their ace for several years to come.
