An Early Look at Next Year’s Free Agents the Angels Could Pursue
May 3, 2025 - Written by Isaias Acosta
Photo Credit : @MLBTradeRumors - X
We are officially a month into the new baseball season and there has been a lot to enjoy so far as well as a lot to be worried about. After a hot start, the Angels now sit at 12-16 on the young season and from what has been shown on the field, there are still a lot of things to fix with the team as a whole. There’s no denying that there is still plenty of time to figure things out but at the same time it’s never too early to find ways to make this team better and help them contend for this upcoming season. Theres going to be a common theme throughout as many Angel fans will agree that this certain position is where the team needs the most help.
Robert Suarez
Robert Suarez’s free agency will depend on whether he opts out of his contract with San Diego, but if he does, he’s someone that the Angels should definitely look at bringing in. The bullpen is currently led by Ben Joyce and Kenley Jansen. The latter of the two will be a free agent at the end of the season. There are also some pretty solid arms in Ryan Zeferjahn and Ryan Johnson, as well as Reid Detmers but with the way that Jack Kochanowicz has been performing, he could be seeing his way back into the rotation. Suarez has been one of the better relief pitchers in the majors for the last three seasons now and he hasn’t showed any signs of slowing down. The 34-year-old made his MLB debut with the Padres back in 2022 and has been a key piece of their bullpen since. In his first three full seasons with San Diego, Suarez carried a 2.89 ERA with a 1.01 WHIP and 37 saves. He took over the closer role in San Diego last season after the departure of Josh Hader and carries the same role this year where he has shown he is more than capable of getting the job done. In this league you can never have too many good bullpen arms and the possibility of bringing in one of the best in the league is certainly something the franchise should be looking to do.
Jack Flaherty
The pursuit for Jack Flaherty is similar to Robert Suarez’s, as Flaherty also has an opt out after this season. Even though it’s still early in the year, it’s safe to say that the starting rotation still needs some help. Jack Kochanowicz and Kyle Hendricks have both struggled to start the year and Jose Soriano has gotten roughed up a couple times. Flaherty is a good option due to his age and is also a proven pitcher in the league. He had a bounce back year in 2024 after having a rough three-year stretch. Flaherty carried a 3.17 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP with 194 strikeouts in 162 innings pitched, while splitting time with the Tigers and Dodgers. He’s come out the gates rolling so far this season and although it’s a small sample size, it’s something to keep an eye on. However, there’s one unfortunate obstacle that the franchise faces if they wish to acquire the services of Flaherty. It’s been well documented that Flaherty was very close with former Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs, who unfortunately passed away in 2019 due to an overdose on pills that were provided by an employee of the Angels. Many fans and pundits have mentioned this situation as a possible factor as to why Flaherty didn’t sign with the Angels this past offseason. Nobody but Flaherty himself knows how he feels towards the franchise, but it is something to keep in mind if the Angels do pursue him.
Pete Alonso
If this list was to be made a couple of weeks ago it probably wouldn’t have included Pete Alonso, but with the way the bats have cooled off for the Angels, it’s safe to say that Alonso might be someone worth looking at. As mentioned before, the Angels came out the gates rolling, hitting home runs at a historic pace and at one point led the majors in team home runs. Since then, it has been brutal to watch this team swing the bat. Everyone from Kyren Paris to the now injured, Mike Trout, has struggled to even get hits, let alone a longball. Alonso has been one of the league’s most prominent and consistent power bats since he made his big-league debut back in 2019. He currently sits at 232 career home runs and carries a career .862 OPS. He’s not someone who’s going to hit for a high average, but he is someone you can count on when you need a clutch hit. It is a bit of a tricky situation however, considering that the team already has a first baseman in Nolan Schanuel. It’ll be interesting to see how they would approach this, whether it’s moving Nolan to third base or keeping Alonso as a DH. Alonso also brings some valuable playoff experience and success. He carries a career .278/.429/.574 slash line in the playoffs and experienced a deep playoff run with the Mets last season, making it to the NLCS and losing to the eventual World Series champion Dodgers.
Michael King
By now you could probably tell what the common theme is here. Michael King started off his career as a relief pitcher but switched to a starter last season with San Diego and its safe to say that he had quite a successful season. King pitched to a 2.95 ERA and carried a 1.19 WHIP while striking out 201 batters in 173.2 innings pitched. He had a solid run with the Yankees as a relief pitcher before being traded to the Padres in the Juan Soto trade. His 2025 season has gotten off to a good start as well, with many considering King to be a top candidate for the NL CY Young award this year. Turning 30 in May, he’s still in his prime and could command a deal in the five to seven year range.
Dylan Cease
This man right here should be priority number one for the Angels this upcoming offseason. If there’s anyone they should want to build their rotation around, it’s Dylan Cease. Cease has been a household name in the staring pitching department for the last handful of years. He finished 2nd in CY Young voting in 2022 and 4th in 2024. Dylan Cease is a well-known strikeout pitcher and stays healthy. The only real downside to Cease is that he has had his struggles when it matters the most, the playoffs. In 4 playoff appearances, he carries a 12.91 ERA which is not very ideal. Regardless of those struggles, he’s going to have a long line of suitors hoping to acquire his services. Still only 29, Cease will most likely receive a contract in the seven-year/$200 million range, which could make this a difficult task for the Angels to pull off. If the front office and Arte Moreno are truly trying to build a contending team, Cease must be prioritized and be made an Angel.
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