Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
Yes. The Angels have a long history of surprising the baseball world with huge moves. Albeit, usually these moves usually come in the offseason. Arte Moreno has been at the forefront of a lot of these surprise moves like the signing of Rendon, Hamilton, and Pujols. All of these moves were very surprising because the Angels were never really linked to any of these players up until the day they signed them.
Angels have a history of surprise signings
Like I said, trading for a player is a lot different. Hardly any discussion between the front office and the player happens which seems to be Moreno’s bread and butter. Of course, Angels’ fans might argue that he has targeted the wrong players.
Scherzer appears to be a different case. He would have to waive the no-trade clause that he has earned for being 10 years in service and 5 years with the same team. Scherzer does have some demands. He wants to join a competitor, he prefers the west or the east, and he wants some security for the future.
The Angels are competitors
The Angels are a competitor whether you like it or not. When you have a team consisting of Mike Trout, Shohei Ohtani, Jared Walsh, David Fletcher, and Anthony Rendon, the playoffs shouldn’t be a far sight. With Sandoval finding his stride, Suarez developing, and Ohtani dominating, Scherzer can easily make the Angels serious competitors.
The Angels could easily be able to transition to a 3 man rotation in the playoffs just how the 2019 Nationals were able to do. Scherzer the ace, Ohtani for game 2, and Sandoval/Cobb as a wild card. Suarez and Canning can fill out long relief roles. The can always call up Rodriguez or Detmers later in the season as well.
Scherzer looking for a move to the west
The Angels are situated in the AL West which he seems to like. Reports indicate that he would prefer the NL West but any team in the west should have some consideration. Of course he can easily join the Padres, Giants, or Dodgers for a much smoother path to the World Series. One thing to note, only one team will be able to win the division. If the season ended today, the Giants would win the NL West and the Dodgers would host the Padres for a one game playoff.
Joining any team in the NL West would make them the favorites but also would make it very difficult to advance. The AL West will not be any easier since the Angels only hopes to make the playoffs will be through the Wild Card which will be a one game playoff against the Rays or Red Sox.
Angels have payroll capacity to extend Scherzer
The Angles also have the ability to sign Scherzer for the next few years. They have little commitment for the 2022 season. Only 5 players have contracts for next year with $112.2 million on the books. That’s a $30.2 million decrease from the 2021 season so a good chunk of that can go to Scherzer. Then Upton’s contract will end in 2022 so that can be used to extend Ohanti at ALL COSTS.
Will the Angels acquire Scherzer? Probably not. But it’s fun to think about. It’s a good fit for both of them but I think the Angels might be more focused on next season already. The $30 million that is going to be opened up can be used to sign a free agent in the offseason. The Angels can get big returns on Cobb, Heaney, and both Iglesias.
