Report: Arte Moreno Holding Back Any Blake Snell Deal
Long into March, the story of Blake Snell’s free agency drama has not ended.
The rival Houston Astros are reportedly interested. The Los Angeles Angels’ relative inactivity must irritate and disappoint fans (especially when compared to the team directly south of them down the freeway).
Reporter Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register provided an update on the pursuit, expressing optimism that the Angels will in fact make an effort to acquire Snell.
Unfortunately, it’s akin to being doused by a bucket of cold water:
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.
Fletcher’s reporting, though, seems to suggest a different story. Two-time Cy Young Award winner pitcher Arte Moreno doesn’t seem ready to go “all-in” on a long-term contract.
After the Angels allegedly refused to match Shohei Ohtani’s requested deal, the Angels watched him sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
In 2019, Mike Trout signed a $426.5 million contract, setting a record at the time. But ever since, he’s had a great deal of ailments.
Anthony Rendon’s $245 million, seven-year contract has been a complete bust. Albert Pujols received $240 million, which at best produced mediocre results and ultimately led to disappointment.
It’s not surprising that Moreno is hesitant to commit to another multi-year, high-dollar contract. But even a shorter contract worth a higher AAV would be wise at this stage, as Snell is still available and the Angels need help in the rotation.
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.
