Fansided

One free agent each MLB team needs to target this offseason

By Joshua Sadlock

WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 27: Gerrit Cole #45 of the Houston Astros pitches in the first inning during Game 5 of the 2019 World Series between the Houston Astros and the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on Sunday, October 27, 2019 in Washington, District of Columbia. (Photo by Alex Trautwig/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 27: Gerrit Cole #45 of the Houston Astros pitches in the first inning during Game 5 of the 2019 World Series between the Houston Astros and the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on Sunday, October 27, 2019 in Washington, District of Columbia. (Photo by Alex Trautwig/MLB Photos via Getty Images) /
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World Series
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 15: Gerrit Cole #45 of the Houston Astros celebrates retiring the side during the sixth inning against the New York Yankees in game three of the American League Championship Series at Yankee Stadium on October 15, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

Los Angeles Angels: Gerrit Cole

With Gerrit Cole dropping not-so-subtle hints about being done with Houston, there really are only two logical landing spots for the right-hander. Go ahead and put your money on Cole signing with either the Los Angeles Angels or New York Yankees. Perhaps the Los Angeles Dodgers will make an attempt, but it does not look like anyone else has a chance at inking Cole to the record-setting windfall he is likely to land.

The Orange County native and UCLA product wants to return to the West Coast and the Angels have more of an impetus to sign an ace than the Dodgers. There is finally starting to be some light at the end of the tunnel for the Halos with Albert Pujols. They owe the washed-up slugger $59 million over the next two years and then the god-awful 10-year deal will be over.

The Angels have made the playoffs only once with Mike Trout, hamstrung by multiple terrible contracts and a continuous stream of injuries to top pitching prospects like Andrew Heaney and Garrett Richards. Even Japanese phenom Shohei Ohtani wasn’t immune to the elbow troubles that follow every hyped-up young Angels pitcher.

Without adding an ace to take some of the load off Ohtani, who continued to hit at a high level while rehabbing his elbow last year, the Angels will not pose a serious threat in the American League. They’ve signed Trout through his age-38 season and will pay him over $500 million when it’s all said and done, but if they can’t build a team around him in his prime, they might as well trade him.

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