We're less than two weeks away from the start of the regular season, and the Los Angeles Angels have yet to sign a top-level pitcher on the free-agent market.
They will stay pat and roll with the pitchers on their current roster. However, teams in their division, like the juggernaut Houston Astros, aren't going into the new season quietly.
According to former general manager turned analyst Jim Bowden, the Astros are interested in signing the 2023 NL Cy Young winner, Blake Snell, to a shorter team deal with a high average annual value (AAV).
Although Bowden mentions that while the Angels are still linked to Snell, the Astros appear to be narrowing in on the left-handed ace.
Snell is coming off his best season as a pro. Although many are surprised he hasn't been signed by now, it's important to mention that he has yet to have back-to-back excellent seasons.
Not only that, but he is 31 years old. While Snell possesses talent like no other and is an elite pitcher; however, it's clear teams aren't in love with what he'll bring moving forward, including the Angels.
If the Astros can acquire a pitcher like Snell, Houston will be much deadlier than they already are. He would provide an extra punch to the Houston rotation, which will spell trouble for the entire league but more specifically for the AL West.
The time is ticking, and Snell should be with a team any minute now. Back news for the Halos and the rest of the AL West: that team could be the Astros.
We'll see how things progress in the coming days.
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