Inbox: If not Bauer, who are Angels pursuing?

ANAHEIM -- New general manager Perry Minasian has stated that acquiring starting pitching is the top priority for the Angels this offseason, and they recently made an addition to the rotation by signing lefty José Quintana to a one-year deal worth $8 million.

It was the first significant move to improve the rotation after the Angels acquired closer Raisel Iglesias and shortstop José Iglesias via trades, and signed veteran backstop Kurt Suzuki to a one-year deal.

The Halos are expected to add another starter via free agency or trade and had been linked to the top starter on the market in Trevor Bauer. But recent reports indicate the Angels have moved on from Bauer and are looking at other ways to impact the rotation, which brings us into the first question of this week’s Inbox:

We know Arte Moreno said that the Angels' team payroll would go up this year, but is he willing to go above the CBT in a push for Bauer when the team is in win-now mode? If not, who's the most likely candidate that they'll sign of the second-tier starters?
-- @K24Cao939

After signing Quintana, the Angels are roughly $25 million under the $210 million Competitive Balance Tax, which would make it nearly impossible for them to sign Bauer without going above that threshold.

It doesn’t seem like the Angels are willing to go above that mark and it’s a reason why the Angels are hesitant to sign Bauer. They also believe they could use their money to shore up other parts of the roster, including adding more help to the bullpen. There’s even an outside chance they could surprise by acquiring another middle infielder or catcher to add to their depth.

But if the Angels go the free-agent route, second-tier pitchers who could make sense include Jake Odorizzi, James Paxton, Rick Porcello, Homer Bailey, Aníbal Sánchez, Brett Anderson, Cole Hamels or Mike Fiers.

If the Angels don’t get Bauer, would you see them trading for Luis Castillo since we need a No. 1, or wait until next year?
-- @thomasabell11

As far as trades for starting pitching, Castillo is reportedly available and fits the bill as a top-of-the-rotation starter, while the Rockies are also reportedly dangling starters Germán Márquez and Jon Gray. Acquiring Castillo, though, would take a serious haul of prospects, as he still has three years of control remaining and is set to make $4.2 million in 2021.

Márquez is also signed through 2023 with an option for '24, which would bring up his trade price, while Gray is set to be a free agent after '21 and would require less to acquire but has been more inconsistent than Márquez or Castillo.

So it still seems more likely they go the free-agency route to find starting pitching, given the high prospect cost associated with trading for quality cost-controlled starting pitching.

What do we think are realistic pitching expectations for Shohei Ohtani this year?
-- @topjibrone

Ohtani is on track to return to two-way status in 2021, but the new front office has yet to officially announce how he’ll be utilized. It’s fair to assume it’ll be similar to recent years, where Ohtani pitches once a week and serves as designated hitter three to four times a week. The biggest question remains Ohtani’s health, as he never looked quite right in '20 and made only two starts before sustaining a right elbow/forearm strain.

He has to overcome the mental hurdle of letting it go on the mound as well, but the hope is that he’ll be healthy after a normal offseason and will be able to get back into his usual routines unlike in 2020, when he had to ramp back up for the start of the shortened season. It’s hard to know what to expect from Ohtani, but he showed in '18 that he has the stuff to be an ace and now it’s likely his last shot to prove it. If he falters again, there’s a good chance he could become a full-time position player.

Is there any reason to think Jo Adell isn't as good of a prospect as he was before his unfortunate results in 2020?
-- @AnswerDave

It’s still too early to draw any major conclusions from Adell’s first year in the Majors, especially given the uniqueness of the 2020 season and the fact it was only a 38-game sample size. But it did show that the 21-year-old still has plenty of work to do both offensively and defensively to reach his full potential. The tools and work ethic are there, sometimes it just takes time for it all to come together. There’s a chance Adell could start the year at Triple-A Salt Lake to get more seasoning, which could open the door for Taylor Ward to start in right on Opening Day. But we’ll see how they both look in Spring Training, as that will play a role in the decision.