Angels Reportedly Talking With Free Agent Cy Young Winner Blake Snell

Is Snellzilla coming to town for the holidays?

The Angels' offseason no longer depends on the fate of Shohei Ohtani, who headed up the freeway to join the Los Angeles Dodgers. The team had to wait on Ohtani's decision before charting the course for the rest of their roster-building maneuvers. Now, general manager Perry Minasian is free to execute his plan. 

One of the biggest priorities for the Halos this winter is upgrading their starting pitching. Without a quality arm to replace Ohtani, they have little chance of ending their nine-year playoff drought.

Minasian has said he plans to be aggressive adding talent. Now, it seems he has been given a green light to look at the top of the free-agent market.

Jon Morosi of MLB Network is reporting the Angels have had a dialogue with agent Scott Boras about reigning National League Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell.

Source: The Angels have had recent dialogue with Blake Snell, the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner.

Of note: Since the Angels aren't viewed as a strong candidate to sign Yamamoto, they don't need to wait on Yamamoto's choice to act in the pitching market. @MLB @MLBNetwork

— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) December 19, 2023

Landing Snell would be a massive upgrade to the Angels' rotation. As good as any pitcher in baseball on a per-inning basis, Snell posted an ERA of 2.25 and a WHIP of 1.19 last season with the San Diego Padres.

Snell has nasty stuff on the mound, and has proven his worth in the postseason. Any team would make room for the left-hander in their rotation. In Anaheim, Snell could also help mentor a relatively young pitching staff.

With new manager Ron Washington in place, Snell could view the Angels as an up-and-coming squad. Although no team has a longer active postseason drought than the Angels, Minasian has rebuilt the roster around several young players who are primed to make their mark.

Snell could help catalyze the Angels' transformation from also-rans to contenders. He won't come cheap — multiple experts have predicted a $200 million contract — and adding one ace-level pitcher won't be enough to make the offseason a success. 

Compared to most potential free-agent targets, signing Snell would send a strong signal to other teams the Angels are serious about contending for the postseason.