When it came to finding meaningful upgrades to their much maligned starting rotation in free agency over the last half-decade or so, there is one phrase that perfectly describes how the Angels operated: gun-shy.
Whether it be Gerrit Cole and Zack Wheeler two offseasons ago, Patrick Corbin and Nathan Eovaldi in 2018, or any other high-profile starter to hit the market in recent years, the Halos have consistently chased the sort of top-of-the-rotation arm that the team has lacked since the end of Jered Weaver’s prime, but their general aversion to taking the necessary risks to secure commitments from guys like that has left them on the outside looking in time and time again.