In search of starting pitching during the offseason, the Los Angeles Angels set their eyes on all of the top prizes, including local product Gerrit Cole and Nationals starter Stephen Strasburg. Failing to reach an agreement with either one, there were rumors of the Angels pursuing former Met Zack Wheeler who ended up signing a five-year, $118 million deal with the Phillies.
In a virtual Q&A with fans earlier this month, Angels general manager Billy Eppler elaborated on the team’s interest in Wheeler.
“A couple days before Thanksgiving, [Joe] Maddon, myself and [John] Carpino got on a plane and flew to Atlanta to meet with Zack Wheeler,” Eppler said in a response to a fan question transcribed by the OC Register.