Moreno: Angels 'probably' out of big-name outfielder sweepstakes
The Los Angeles Angels signed a free-agent outfielder on Wednesday - but it wasn't one of the marquee names on the market.
Daniel Nava agreed with the Halos on a one-year deal for 2016, and while he will likely provide some relatively solid depth in the outfield, his name isn't Yoenis Cespedes, Justin Upton or Alex Gordon.
Unfortunately for Angels fans hoping for their club to make a splash and bring in one of those showstopper-types, owner Arte Moreno effectively quashed those aspirations before taking part in the Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade on Wednesday.
Today, the #Angels have signed OF Daniel Nava to a one-year, Major League contract. Welcome to the family! pic.twitter.com/WGaABBEfjM
— Angels (@Angels) December 16, 2015
As quoted by Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times, Moreno basically said that the big-name free agents are simply out of the Angels' price range at this point:
While Cespedes, Upton and Gordon would provide the team with exactly what it is looking for - an impact bat to go along with Mike Trout, Albert Pujols and the rest of the Halos - Moreno is hesitant to push past the luxury tax threshold of $189 million. The Nava deal increased the Angels' payroll obligations to within $4 million of that limit.
“We’re probably going to be out. We’re talking to them. The numbers are big. Right now, we haven’t been able to … it really gets down to economics.”
Said Moreno to DiGiovanna:
Obviously, the Angels' decision to give Josh Hamilton a five-year, $125 million free-agent deal a few years back was a disaster. The Halos will still be paying almost all of Hamilton's salary for the final two years of that deal, too. Within that context, it isn't surprising for Moreno to not rush to throw six figures at these star outfielders.
If we had a player that we felt was the right guy, we would probably go through it,” Moreno said. “Right now, economically, it doesn’t fit. … You really have to look at 2017 and 2018 and beyond.
“When you start looking at seven-year deals, they’re tough. You really stretch the franchise out. If there’s a mistake or injury and it doesn’t work out, it really hinders what you’re trying to accomplish.”
The Angels had an offseason focus of bringing in some more offense, and so far they have done that (with the acquisition of Yunel Escobar). Now that they're apparently "out" on Cespedes, Gordon and Upton they could look to a lower-tier option or the trade market for an upgrade, but at this point it seems like their hopes of bringing in an A-list impact bat outfielder were hindered by the current market rate.
