Continuing their desire to land at least one of the premier free agents on the board, the Angels have shown interest in third baseman Josh Donaldson. They’ve “checked in on” the 34-year-old star, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.
It’s now known that the Angels have thrown their hat in the ring on the two best third basemen available on the open market. A report from earlier Tuesday indicated they’ve also expressed interest in Anthony Rendon, who figures to cost far more than Donaldson. Thanks in part to the age difference between the two (Rendon won’t turn 30 until June), Rendon will significantly out-earn Donaldson. MLBTR predicts Rendon for a seven-year, $235MM contract and Donaldson for a three-year, $75MM payday. However, the chances of Donaldson reeling in a four-year pact appear to be increasing after an excellent season in Atlanta for the former American League MVP.
While the Angels’ focus is on signing the No. 1 free agent available, right-hander Gerrit Cole, there’s clearly room for a major splash at the hot corner. They traded Zack Cozart to the Giants on Tuesday, thus ridding themselves of a third base option and (perhaps more importantly) just over $12MM in payroll room. And there’s not necessarily a proven performer at the position left on the roster. David Fletcher’s a solid player, but adding a different third baseman could enable him to focus on second in 2020. Matt Thaiss didn’t hit much during his initial major league action in 2019, meanwhile, and save for a magical few months last season, Tommy La Stella doesn’t carry a long track record as an above-average big leaguer.
Angels have shown interest in everybody.
My predictions:
Angels trade for David Price
Are out of the Cole sweepstakes
Sign Rendon
Sign Ryu
they will over pay in trades and sign no one
Dude, you are copying that wild rumor from Reddit. Karma points dont transfer. #StolenValor
Hahaha!!! Stolen Valor! Love it
Did you see that on the Reddit post?
100% stolen from reddit
nah I saw a tweet from Jeff Fletcher mentioning that the Angels could be trade suitors for the Red Sox since they are looking to clear some cap space. My personal bias is Ryu over Bumgarner and yesterday it was reported Arte ‘really likes’ Rendon
Lol ya right dude. Your prediction was exactly the same as reddit, including being out on Cole. Just own it
There are thousands upon thousands of rumors going around at this time of year. Every scenario gets covered multiple times..
That prediction has been floating on reddit since noon today. These aren’t your predictions buddy.
Why pay for price but not cole?
Did you read that on reddit /twitter too? Lol. Price isn’t worth half his remaining contract.
Id take rendon, ryu, bum and maldinado over cole + scrap leftover, would love to have cole but what does he look like in 5 years…… a worn out arm that you owe 140 million
That’s a guess. Verlander is 36 and just had an insane season. No reason Cole can’t do the same into age 36+ season. That would take the contract to the 6th or 7th year. Ryu is garbage and so is bum.
You started to make a good argument, then you flat out lost credibility at the end.
Ryu isn’t garbage, but your opinion is.
As well they should, eppler will be hero or out to pasture, fairly desperate owner Seemingly willing to spend this year,
It won’t happen. Too lefty friendly of a rotation. For a division with incredible right handed hitters.
You got one right.
There is enough demand for Donaldson that he will almost assuredly get a 4 year deal. I really hope Atlanta doesn’t become the highest bidder.
Sign Ryu, Keuchel, Rendon then
Trade Griffen Canning, Brandon Marsh, Tommy La Stella.. to the Cubs for Wilson Contreras… who says no…
You been pushing this all day. Angels do. You are overvaluing Contreras. Also historically hte angels have viewd C as a defensive position. Its more likely they trade for an austing (hedges/barnes) than Wilson C.
I was thinking package Taylor Ward, Suarez and maybe a couple randos for Contreras. Especially now that they’re shopping for a 3B it’s starting to seem like they’ve given up on Ward, and his trade values going to start going down now that he’s 26. Still can get some value out of him as 1st rd pick. Not really sold on Suarez either but he’s young and big league ready, those two guys might be able to fetch Contreras.
Other ideas could be Ward/Jordyn Adams or Ward/Sandoval/Adams
The angels say no. They need SP why would they trade Canning and a few more assets for a C. They can sign someone like Castro and be fine.
The Angels do. Contreras is good butt not worth all that.
Why in the world would the Angels trade two of their best young prospects and a guy that absolutely killed it last year (till he got hurt) for Contreras? He’s good, but not that good.
The Angels’ rumors today seem to indicate they’re pivoting from Cole
Uhh… No? We’ve heard them linked to Cole all day as well
Compare the Angels approach to Cole to the Yankees approach. The Angels are now showing interest in other players and are making separate moves while the Yankees are 100% focused on Cole. That makes me think the Angels believe they’re not getting him and moving on to other targets
LOL Yankees homers stretchin to build a narrative. Takin things like “Angels have checked in on player x at some point” into Angels are pivoting because the Yankees are the LOADED. ALso heard they thinkin of trading Andrujar for Trout..
I would day based on cashmans comments he isn’t sounding to confident
The Angels seem to be doing more than just “checking in” on other players. Before today there wasn’t much talk about the Angels being linked to Rendon or Donaldson. Also Eppler said the Angels will be looking to sign multiple players to big deals. If they’re gonna give $35+ mil a year to Cole that would be hard to do
@higgy5220 I don’t know what you’re referring to because Cashman’s standpoint on Cole has remained the same this entire offseason
@bkbk I told you
I really enjoy MLB trade rumors, but these articles with “insert team name” have interest in “insert player name” are getting a little old
that’s what you call the makings of a trade rumor.
3.8 WAR and GG finalist for 3B and fletcher gets “solid”. I’d say he’s more than solid
To me the big question is will the angels or the Yankees be willing to go significantly over the Strasburg money to get Cole? Like $30 mil more or like $80 mil more?
Angels suck.
You swallow
I chuckle.
Angels are a mess!!
When are the Angels ever going to learn. What in the world is their obsession with over signings and trading for hitters with bad salaries?
Josh Hamilton
Vernon Wells
Albert Pujols
Gary Matthews Jr
Justin Upton
etc
THEY NEED PITCHING and have needed it for the last decade. Who’s the last good pitcher they signed? Cj Wilson? Pathetic.
If anyone wants to make a bet on the Angels signing Rendon over Cole my Paypal account is ready.
I guess they already checked ‘pitching’ off their list with the Bundy trade…
Eppler needs go in his office, pick up his phone, and keeping dialing agents and GM’s until he has acquired at least one decent starting pitcher.
LOL. For whatever reason, the Angels bring out the most negative trolls on the internet. It’s kind of comical.
Face it. As long as Pujols AND Trout are squeezing the payroll to death, the Halos can’t afford to sink another $30mil/yr into another player. Pujols will be an albatross to them until either he retires or the contract ends. They overbid themselves in getting him because no one was going to offer Pujols a 10 year contract at 32 years old. Period. The only contract he had that came even close to that was 8 years $160mil. Angels have always been great at over playing the wrong hand.
What you people don’t realize that the angels have almost no money committed after 2020 and 2021… If Pujols and trout are your only players earning 30 million then that means your payroll is only had about 60 million for the year… Compared to most teams who have $180 million payroll… Think about it, most of the angel players are making a major league minimum or slightly above… 30 million committed to two players is nothing you could add four or five players committed and still be at 150 million payroll
PLEASE DONT SIGN DONALDSON!!
We literally have an incredible infield and outfield minus Pujols (can’t do anything about it) and catcher. Any other players we sign besides pitchers and a catcher will be stupid and will only help waste Trouts prime.