Report: Arte Moreno Holding Back Any Blake Snell Deal

This isn't a promising update for Halos fans.

The Blake Snell free agency saga has continued well into March. 

Rumors seem to indicate interest from the rival Houston Astros. Those who support the Los Angeles Angels have to be miffed and disappointed in the team's relative lack of activity (especially compared to the team just south of them down the freeway). 

With hopes that the Angels will indeed make a push to sign Snell, reporter Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register offered an update on the chase. 

Unfortunately, it's akin to being doused by a bucket of cold water: 

I have heard nothing to suggest that Moreno is more willing to spend now than a month ago.

"I’m not going to spend money just to show that we’re going to spend money unless it’s going to substantially change the team.”https://t.co/EUjuATjZS1 https://t.co/oJFrYdFTF5

— Jeff Fletcher (@JeffFletcherOCR) March 16, 2024

The Angels desperately need pitching. This includes finding an ace atop their projected rotation. A West Coast guy with experience pitching in the American League, Snell would appear to be a perfect fit. 

However, the reporting by Fletcher appears to indicate a different narrative. Owner Arte Moreno doesn't appear ready to go "all-in" on a lengthy deal for the two-time Cy Young Award-winning pitcher. 

The Angels watched Shohei Ohtani sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers after the Angels reportedly wouldn't match the contract he was seeking. 

Mike Trout received a then-record contract worth $426.5 million in 2019. However, since then, he's been beset by a plethora of injuries. 

Does Blake Snell still have a chance to land with the @Angels?@Ken_Rosenthal breaks it down
▶️ https://t.co/PCkCvORPCO pic.twitter.com/vaazOAlUPS

— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) March 15, 2024

The seven-year deal given to Anthony Rendon (worth $245 million) has been utterly disastrous. The $240 million given to Albert Pujols netted mixed results at best, and ultimately ended in disappointment. 

It's not shocking to see Moreno hesitate to shell out another multi-year deal worth big bucks. However, with Snell still on the market and the Angels needing help in their rotation, even a shorter deal worth a higher AAV could be a prudent move at this point. 

With the regular season rapidly approaching, barring a complete reversal in philosophy on signing free-agent pitchers to lengthy deals, it seems a bit unlikely the Angels will pull off this signing.