Angels Could Shift Balance of Power in AL by Pairing Gerrit Cole with Mike Trout

Following the Houston Astros' flop in Game 7 of the World Series on Wednesday, ace right-hander Gerrit Cole seemed like he wanted to be anywhere other than the home clubhouse.

Lucky for him, he officially became a free agent on Thursday. Cole can go wherever he wants now, and it's not too soon to begin speculating about him signing with one team in particular: the Los Angeles Angels.

Though the Astros might still re-sign Cole, he clearly doesn't feel like he owes them anything. According to Hunter Atkins of the Houston Chronicle, the 29-year-old didn't even want to present himself as a member of the organization after Game 7:

When Cole finally did greet the press, he was notably repping his agency with a Boras Corporation hat and already referring to his time in Houston in the past tense:

Cole's postgame demeanor won't go over well with anyone who expects professional athletes to be mindless automatons whose sole purpose is to be subservient to whoever is signing their checks.

Yet it's worth something that Cole took the time to tweet out a heartfelt thank you to the city of Houston, the Astros organization and Astros fans on Thursday. Even if he hadn't done so, his initial curtness could have been rationalized on the basis that he was only minutes removed from a heartbreaking loss. And it was one in which he might have helped if only Astros manager AJ Hinch had called his number.

There's also the reality that loyalty is a two-way street. To this end, Cole might have noticed when Astros owner Jim Crane basically shrugged at the idea of re-signing him in September.

"We'll see where we end up after the year. We may make a run at it. We're not sure yet," Crane said, according to Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle. "We're going to wait and see what else unfolds and who else is going to stay on the team."

Crane's comments seem to indicate the Astros will only bring Cole back on their terms. But unless he makes a baffling decision to sell himself short, that's almost certainly not happening.

Eric Gay/Associated Press

Cole was a reclamation project when the Astros acquired him from the Pittsburgh Pirates in January 2018. Though he was a former No. 1 pick known for his mid-to-high-90s fastball, he was perhaps equally known for being alarmingly hittable for such a live-armed pitcher.

But with Houston, Cole upped his velocity while also ditching his sinker and becoming a master of spin rate. The results: a 2.88 ERA and 276 strikeouts over 200.1 innings in 2018, followed by a 2.50 ERA and 326 strikeouts over 212.1 innings in 2019. 

Cole is likely to pick up a Cy Young Award when the winners for the American League and National League are announced on Nov. 13. The voters for the award will not have considered his run through the 2019 postseason, but prospective free-agent bidders surely will. All he did in five starts was rack up a 1.72 ERA with 47 strikeouts over 36.2 innings.

As of now, David Price's seven-year, $217 million contract with the Boston Red Sox is the largest deal ever signed by a pitcher. Cole should beat that, and he might even move the bar as high as $250 million.

Mind you, there's more to Cole's market than just his extraordinary ability. The winter market will open up in the shadow of a season that was the highest-scoring since 2006 and the most home run-infused in history. Many teams will need pitching.

Which brings us, finally, back to the Angels.

Out of all the reasons the Angels went 72-90 in 2019, none looms larger than what befell their starting rotation. They lost their best starter when left-hander Tyler Skaggs died in July—the legal implications of which don't look good for the organization—and their rotation ultimately finished with an MLB-low 0.8 wins above replacement, according to Baseball Reference.

That gives the Angels an obvious incentive to go after Cole. Perhaps a no less important incentive, meanwhile, is the ticking clock hanging over Mike Trout's head. 

Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press

The 28-year-old center fielder has been far and away the best player in MLB since 2012, and the Angels have already done the right thing by locking him up with a $430 million contract. Yet he's played in all of three postseason games as an Angel, and the potential for more might end when his prime ends.

With the big three-oh in his near future, that day may not be that far off.

The Angels have already scored big this offseason with their hiring of Joe Maddon, who led the Tampa Bay Rays to an American League pennant in 2008 and the Chicago Cubs to a World Series championship in 2016, as their new manager. There would seem to be enough space in their books for Cole to be their next big score.

Beyond having both the best player and arguably the best pitcher in baseball upon signing Cole, the Angels would also have Shohei Ohtani's return to the mound going for them. Throw in healthy versions of Justin Upton and Tommy La Stella and the pending arrival of uber-prospect Jo Adell, and the Angels would really only be wanting for some extra pitching depth.

Assuming said depth were to materialize, the Angels would resemble at least a wild-card contender for 2020. Given that they'd be stealing Cole from a key AL West rival, a rise to the top of the division wouldn't be out of the question.

Cole himself may be only too happy to catch on with the Angels. Though he'll be able to find better rosters and just as much (if not more) money elsewhere—looking at you, New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies—the Angels are one of only two teams that can offer the Orange, California native and UCLA alum a proper homecoming.

As Joel Sherman of the New York Post wrote, "Cole grew up nearby, attended Angels games regularly and seems inclined to try to get back toward home."

Could the Los Angeles Dodgers assert themselves as the better homecoming destination for Cole? Hypothetically, yes. But it would be out of character for them. They have been sticking to modest three-, four- and five-year contracts in recent winters.

The obligatory disclaimer for discussions such as these is that anything can happen in free agency. For instance, Patrick Corbin seemed like a shoo-in to sign with the Yankees last winter. Instead, he joined the Washington Nationals and went on to win a ring.

But if nothing else, Cole certainly seems ready to leave Houston. If they want to do right by Trout and generally become relevant again, the Angels should be there waiting for him.

Stats courtesy of Baseball Reference and Baseball Savant.