Los Angeles Angels: Dallas Keuchel is perfect with new asking price
By Jason Reed
Dallas Keuchel is still a free agent despite being one of the best pitchers on the market and his new lowered asking price makes him perfect for the Los Angeles Angels.
The Los Angeles Angels had a very straightforward strategy this past offseason. To avoid financial difficulties in the future, something that has burned the team time and time again, the team exclusively signed one-year contracts with free agents.
The players they signed were strange and it was fair to question the moves. However, you cannot blame the motives, as it made sense from the Angels’ standpoint.
With Mike Trout signing his massive extension the team does not have to worry about him leaving now, which makes those one-year contracts that much sweeter.
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One of the free agents that the team was connected to prior to making all of these one-year deals was Dallas Keuchel. However, because of his multi-year, high salary asking price, the Angels naturally backed off. Or at least we assume.
Kuechel remains unsigned despite several teams having 10 games played under their belts. While the narrative has been that MLB free agency is broken, it has now shifted to the idea that Keuchel’s asking price was too high.
Ken Rosenthal reported that Keuchel’s asking price might have dropped from that multi-year deal to a one-year contract that is more than the $17.9 million qualifying offer that he could have signed with the Houston Astros.
This makes sense for Keuchel. It does not lock in him long term to an annual value that he does not think he is worth, while also allowing him to get paid more this year than he otherwise would have.
If these reports are indicative of Keuchel’s true intentions, then the Los Angeles Angels should absolutely be back in on the former Cy Young-winning starting pitcher.
Not only does he suddenly fit the Angels’ low-risk one-year plan but he helps round out a starting rotation that needs it. While the Angels are currently missing some arms, such as Andrew Heaney, the rotation at full strength still leaves something to be desired.
Adding Keuchel fixes that problem and gives the Angels a starting rotation that legitimately could be good enough to contend for a postseason spot.
Keuchel, Matt Harvey, Tyler Skaggs, Trevor Cahill and Heaney, at full strength, is better than some playoff teams that we have seen in the past.
Next. Critics of Trout's contract are absurd. dark
The Los Angeles Angels have $23.2 million in luxury tax space, per Spotrac. They certainly can afford Keuchel on a one-year, $20 million deal.