Los Angeles Angels

The free-agent market for Max Scherzer is heating up, with multiple teams pursuing the three-time Cy Young winner. 

Per MLB Network's Jon Heyman, Scherzer is expected to make a decision before the current collective bargaining agreement expires at 11:59 p.m. ET on Dec. 1, with the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Angels among those in the mix. 

Heyman added the Mets are "aggressively pursuing" Scherzer, but they could turn their attention to Kevin Gausman because Scherzer did show a preference for being on the West Coast during the 2021 season before the Washington Nationals traded him to the Dodgers in July. 

Given that Scherzer is 37 years old, there is an expectation he will presumably sign a short-term contract with a high average annual salary. 

Last month, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported Scherzer "seems likely" to re-sign with the Dodgers on a three-year contract worth around $35 million per season. 

When the Nationals were shopping Scherzer prior to the trade deadline, MLB.com's Mark Feinsand noted the right-hander "strongly prefers the West Coast" to waive his no-trade clause. 

The Dodgers wound up making the deal for Scherzer and Trea Turner with Washington. His familiarity with the organization could give them a leg up, but the other teams mentioned by Heyman have the potential to be heavy-hitters in 2022. 

The Giants won the NL West over the Dodgers last season with 107 wins. They have already lost Buster Posey, who retired, and they're still waiting to see what happens with Kris Bryant. 

The Angels would seem desperate to make the playoffs while they still have Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout, two generational talents, in the prime of their respective careers. They already signed Noah Syndergaard to upgrade their rotation, but it's unclear how much of an impact he will have. He threw only two innings late in the regular season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in March 2020. 

Mets owner Steve Cohen has shown a willingness to spend big if he thinks it will help his team compete for a playoff spot. They have already been aggressive this offseason, agreeing to deals with Starling Marte, Eduardo Escobar and Mark Cahna, per MLB.com's Anthony DiComo. 

Scherzer would give the Mets a fantastic one-two punch alongside Jacob deGrom at the top of their rotation. 

Despite his advanced age, Scherzer remains one of the best pitchers in Major League Baseball. He finished third in NL Cy Young voting this season after posting a 2.46 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and striking out 236 hitters in 179.1 innings over 30 starts between the Nationals and Dodgers.    

Free-agent starting pitcher Marcus Stroman reportedly has a long list of suitors this offseason.

MLB Network's Jon Morosi confirmed a report from Tim Dierkes, saying the Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants, New York Mets and Los Angeles Angels are among the teams interested in pursuing Stroman. Morosi added that the Seattle Mariners should be included in that list.

Stroman established himself as a dependable starter for the New York Mets this past season. He led the team with 10 wins, his first double-digit win season since 2017. The 30-year-old finished the year with a 3.02 ERA and 158 strikeouts in 179 innings pitched for one of the best statistical seasons of his seven-year career.

The Mets have already lost starter Noah Syndergaard and reliever Aaron Loup in free agency. If Stroman were to sign with another team, it would be a big blow to a New York team that lacks rotation depth behind ace Jacob deGrom.

Stroman would be a strong addition to any team's rotation. The Angels, who landed both Syndergaard and Loup, are clearly looking to improve their pitching this offseason. The Giants have also been aggressive in the arms race, re-signing starter Anthony DeSclafani to a three-year deal Monday and finalizing a deal to bring back Alex Wood.

The teams in need of a top starting pitcher have many top options to choose from. In addition to Stroman, this year's free-agent class includes high-profile starters Zack Greinke, Clayton Kershaw, Max Scherzer and Kevin Gausman.

Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani wants to add to his resume in Major League Baseball before accepting an award from his home country of Japan.

Reuters (h/t the Japan Times) reported Japan considered giving Ohtani an award to recognize his accomplishments in the United States as the American League MVP for the 2021 campaign. However, he declined the award at this stage.

"We approached Ohtani's side about giving him the People's Honor Award, but he declined, saying it was still too early," Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said. "The impression was that he wants to concentrate to attain still greater heights. We join with the people of Japan to pray for even more success for him in future seasons."

Reuters noted Ohtani became the second Japanese player to win the AL MVP after Ichiro Suzuki of the Seattle Mariners did so in 2001.

Ohtani won the award as a dominant pitcher and hitter. He slashed .257/.372/.592 with 46 home runs and 100 RBI as a hitter and posted a 3.18 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 156 strikeouts in 130.1 innings as a pitcher.

His ability to impact the game in multiple ways separated him from fellow contenders Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Marcus Semien of the Toronto Blue Jays.

The New York Mets have lost another free-agent pitcher to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

The Angels announced Monday that lefty reliever Aaron Loup has agreed to a two-year deal after spending one season in New York. MLB.com Angels beat writer Rhett Bollinger reported that the deal is worth $7.5 million in each of the next two seasons with a guaranteed $2 million buyout or club option for a third year. If the team exercises the option in 2024, Loup will make the full $7.5 million.

Loup joins former Mets starting pitcher Noah Syndergaard, who signed a one-year, $21 million contract with the Halos on Nov. 16. Loup told Mike Puma of the New York Post in September that he hoped New York would re-sign him.

Loup, who was playing on a one-year contract worth $3 million in 2021, enjoyed the best season of his career in New York. The 33-year-old reliever went 6-0 this year with a career-best 0.95 ERA in 56.2 innings. According to Baseball Savant, Loup ranked in the 94th percentile in opponent's slugging percentage and in the 99th percentile in barreled balls against him.

A 10-year veteran, Loup has also pitched for the Toronto Blue Jays, Philadelphia Phillies, Tampa Bay Rays and San Diego Padres during his career. 

Signing Loup was an important move for the Angels. Los Angeles closer Raisel Iglesias is a free agent and remains unsigned after rejecting the team's $18.4 million qualifying offer. The 31-year-old righty tied a career high with 34 saves and had 103 strikeouts in 70.0 innings last season. 

After a 77-85 season in 2021, the Angels are making moves that could lead to a turnaround next year. Signing Syndergaard and Loup helps Los Angeles improve the pitching depth it was sorely lacking.

Fresh off unanimously winning the American League MVP Award, Los Angeles Angels phenom Shohei Ohtani reiterated his desire to remain with the franchise for years to come when asked if there have been talks for a contract extension. 

"This is not the time to talk about contract stuff," Ohtani told reporters. "But I want to make it clear that I love the Angels organization and am looking forward to being a big part of the team for a long time."

Ohtani will make $5.5 million in 2022 and will be eligible for arbitration in 2023 before potentially becoming a free agent in 2024. 

While Ohtani wouldn't discuss his contract situation earlier this week, the 27-year-old's agent, Nez Balelo, also recently told reporters his client is "extremely happy" in Anaheim. In addition, Ohtani said in October that he's "very open" to negotiating a long-term extension with the Angels. 

“He likes being a part of the Angel organization,” Balelo said. “We’ll see where it shakes out.”

Doubts about Ohtani's future with the Angels arose following his comments in September when he expressed frustration about the franchise missing the playoffs for the fourth straight season he's been with the team (seventh consecutive overall). 

At the end of the season, Ohtani said it was "very frustrating, very disappointing" to miss the playoffs again, adding, "I always look forward to being in the playoff race at the end."

The Angels finished 77-85 in 2021, fourth in the AL West behind the Houston Astros, Seattle Mariners and Oakland Athletics. They were 18 games behind Houston for first place in the division and nine games behind the third-place A's. 

Ohtani is in line to receive a massive extension, whether it be from the Angels or another franchise. His teammate, Mike Trout, has the largest contract in baseball history—a 12-year, $426.5 million deal.  

Ohtani was dominant at the plate and on the mound in 2021. The Japanese two-way threat slashed .257/.372/.592 with 46 home runs, 100 RBI and 26 stolen bases. He was also 9-2 with a 3.18 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 156 strikeouts in 130.1 innings across 23 starts on the mound.

Ohtani made his Angels debut in 2018 and won the AL Rookie of the Year award. He had dealt with several injuries since making his debut before his breakout 2021 campaign.  

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim two-way star Shohei Ohtani was unanimously voted as the American League MVP on Thursday. His teammate Mike Trout, who has won AL MVP three times in his career, took to Twitter to congratulate Ohtani for the honor.

"It’s been something special to witness what you’ve accomplished as a teammate," Trout wrote. "You have put together a season of your own… WELL DESERVED."

Ohtani, who earned all 30 first-place votes from the Baseball Writers' Association of America, became the first player to unanimously win an MVP Award since Trout did so in 2014. The other players to receive every first-place vote are Albert Pujols (2009), Barry Bonds (2002) and Bryce Harper, who won unanimously in 2015 and earned his second career National League MVP this year.

Ohtani had 46 home runs, 100 RBI and started 23 games for the Angels this season. The 27-year-old ranked second in the AL with a .965 OPS, tied for the major league lead with eight triples and had 26 stolen bases. On the mound, he had a record of 9-2 with a 3.18 ERA and 156 strikeouts in 130.1 innings.

Ohtani is the first player in baseball history to hit at least 30 home runs while making at least 10 pitching appearances in the same year. He's the sixth player ever to have at least 45 homers and at least 25 stolen bases in a single season.

Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vlad Guerrero Jr. received 29 of 30 second-place votes. The other vote went to Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez. Blue Jays second baseman Marcus Semien earned 24 third-place votes.

Los Angeles Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani was named the American League Most Valuable Player while Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Bryce Harper earned MVP in the National League.

Harper earned 17 of 30 first-place votes in a competitive race that saw five different players earn at least one first-place vote.

The AL featured just one player receiving first-place votes with Ohtani being named a unanimous MVP:

Ohtani completed an extraordinary season while earning an All-Star selection as both a hitter and pitcher.

At the plate, the 27-year-old hit .257 with a .372 on-base percentage plus 47 home runs, 26 stolen bases and eight triples. His .965 OPS ranked second in the American League. 

This would make him an MVP candidate on its own, but his pitching set him apart from the other candidates with a 9-2 record, 3.18 ERA and 156 strikeouts in 130.1 innings. The all-around production made him a no-brainer selection for the AL MVP despite great seasons from Toronto Blue Jays duo Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Marcus Semien.

Guerrero hit .311 and tied or led the league in home runs (48), runs scored (123), on-base percentage (.401) and slugging percentage (.601). Semien was nearly as good at the plate with 45 home runs and 102 RBI while also playing all 162 games and winning a Gold Glove at second base.

The production was simply not enough to catch the Angels star.

It was a closer race in the National League with finalists Bryce Harper, Juan Soto and Fernando Tatis Jr. all coming through with strong performances as well as other top contenders like Brandon Crawford and Trea Turner.

Harper led the majors with a 1.044 OPS while adding a .309 batting average, 35 home runs, 42 doubles, 101 runs scored and 13 stolen bases. He was also the only finalist on a team with a winning record after the Phillies finished 82-80.

Soto was also impressive in 2021 with a .313/.465/.534 slash line, adding 29 home runs as one of the best pure hitters in the game. The 23-year-old hit .348 with 18 home runs in the second half of the season.

Tatis finished in the top four of MVP voting for the second straight year after leading the NL with 42 home runs to go with his 25 stolen bases. He also expanded his versatility this season while playing at shortstop, right field and center field.  

Harper still stood above the competition to take home his second-career MVP Award.

If Shohei Ohtani wins the American League MVP on Thursday, it will be a costly development for William Hill Sportsbook.

According to David Purdum of ESPN, the bookmaker will lose more than $1 million if the Los Angeles Angels star captures the award over fellow finalists Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Marcus Semien of the Toronto Blue Jays.

"It's going to be the biggest loss on that type of market ever," Adam Pullen, assistant director of trading for William Hill, said. "It's going to stick out as a line item, when you see award betting and a big minus."

Purdum noted Ohtani generated more MVP bets than any other player at the majority of sportsbooks and even opened at 60-1 odds in February.

Some of William Hill Sportsbook's potential losses can be attributed to one bettor who placed a $30,000 gamble on March 19 at 30-1 odds. That bet will net $900,000 if the two-way star takes home the award.

The odds certainly wouldn't have been as high before the season if the sportsbooks knew what Ohtani was going to do in 2021.

He slashed .257/.372/.592 with 46 home runs, 100 RBI and 26 stolen bases as a hitter. Those numbers alone would have been worthy of such consideration considering only Guerrero and Salvador Perez hit more home runs during the regular season.

However, they become even more impressive when considering Ohtani was also a dominant pitcher who finished with a 3.18 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 156 strikeouts in 130.1 innings.

That he made just two starts in 2020 as a pitcher and didn't throw a single inning in 2019 because of injury concerns made the performance on the mound all the more notable. His recent history as a pitcher surely contributed to the high MVP odds at the start of the season, but his prowess could pay off for gamblers who took a chance on him.

Chances are, his MVP odds will look much different at the start of the 2022 campaign.         

Right-handed reliever Raisel Iglesias will reportedly pass on the Los Angeles Angels' qualifying offer of $18.4 million and become a free agent.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported Iglesias' plans to hit the open market on Wednesday. The 31-year-old is the top reliever available in this winter's free-agent market and is coming off a 2021 campaign that saw him go 7-5 with a 2.57 ERA and 0.93 WHIP while converting 34 of 39 save opportunities.

This article will be updated to provide more information on this story as it becomes available.

Get the best sports content from the web and social in the new B/R app. Get the app and get the game.

Noah Syndergaard is going to pitch for the Los Angeles Angels in 2022. 

Per ESPN's Jeff Passan, the Angels will sign Syndergaard to a one-year, $21 million deal.

Per Spotrac, Los Angeles' 2022 payroll currently stands at $139.89 million. That figure is an estimate based on estimates for arbitration-eligible players and pre-arbitration players. 

Angels Projected Pitching Rotation

No. 1: Shohei Ohtani 

No. 2: Noah Syndergaard

No. 3: Patrick Sandoval 

No. 4: Jose Suarez

No. 5: Jaime Barria

Syndergaard avoided arbitration with the Mets in January 2020 when he signed a one-year, $9.7 million contract. He missed the entire 2020 season following Tommy John surgery that March,

The 29-year-old is capable of dominating when healthy, but in 2019, he had a career-worst 4.28 ERA along with 9.2 strikeouts per nine innings in 32 starts. He only appeared in two games at the end of last season. 

The 6'6" right-hander experienced elbow discomfort during a rehab start on May 25, leading the Mets to shut him down for six weeks because of inflammation. 

The Angels are taking a huge swing by signing Syndergaard with his value seemingly at its lowest point. Thor is one of the best pitchers in MLB at his peak. He finished eighth in NL Cy Young voting in 2016 (his lone All-Star season) with a 2.60 ERA and 218 strikeouts in 183.2 innings. 

They desperately needed to add high-level starting pitching if they hope to compete for a playoff spot in 2022. 

Ohtani was the only pitcher on the roster last season who threw at least 100 innings. The Angels ranked 22nd in starter's ERA (4.78) and 26th in MLB in innings pitched from their starters (776.1). 

Alex Cobb, Dylan Bundy and Andrew Heaney were all eligible for free agency this offseason. Heaney wasted no time securing a one-year, $8.5 million deal from the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday

Sandoval showed promise last season with a 3.62 ERA in 17 appearances (14 starts). If he can replicate that performance with Ohtani, the Angels will have the start of a solid rotation to build around. 

Syndergaard is very much a boom-or-bust play for the franchise at this point, but the upside is so high that they are only risking one year of his salary. 

As long as Syndergaard isn't the only play the Angels make to boost their rotation, this is a smart move for the organization coming off six consecutive losing seasons.