The Angels have been searching for a rotation ace for years. Every attempt made to lure one in previous offseasons was rebuffed, forcing them to take one-year risks on pitchers who ultimately provided negative value on the mound.
The arrival of a new general manager a few months ago should have signaled a change in the approach to starting pitching acquisitions. Yet, it hasn’t.
With a few weeks remaining until the scheduled start of spring training, the Angels have yet to land a frontline starter. Unless there is a significant philosophical shift, they won’t. And that means the likelihood of signing top free-agent starter Trevor Bauer is practically zero.