With the Los Angeles Angels well on their way towards missing the MLB postseason for a ninth straight season, there will no doubt be a host of changes made this offseason.
Between pending free agents, such as MVP Shohei Ohtani and a host of everyday position players like C.J. Cron and Gio Urshela, there could be plenty of upheaval in store for Angels players and fans.
With the Angels all but eliminated from playoff contention, BetCalifornia.com is looking ahead to the offseason. Aside from Ohtani, both Cron and Urshela are set to hit free agency, and we have constructed hypothetical odds on their next landing spots. If there were legal California sportsbooks, these odds would not be available to wager on.
CJ Cron Next Team Hypothetical Odds
There is no BetMGM California, but nationally the operator has the Angels as +185 on the moneyline Monday night on the road against Seattle.
Gio Urshela Next Team Hypothetical Odds
Although there are no legal California betting apps, the L.A. Dodgers are second in World Series odds at +450. Atlanta is the title favorite at +275.
Angels Still Favorites For Both Free Agents
Despite what’s likely to be the franchise’s eighth straight sub-.500 season, there’s reason to believe both infielders could stick around through 2024. Urshela (who’s posted a 0.7 WAR across 62 games with L.A. this year) and Cron (who has a -0.3 WAR this year) have hindered their open market value to varying degrees. That could ultimately dampen their free agent value, which is a major reason why we see the Angels as the leader for both players’ services.
Overall, we give Cron +150 (or 40%) odds of coming back to the Angels, while Urshela has slightly lower odds (+200, or 33.3%) of returning to the team. Cron has slightly lower value in free agency than Urshela, thanks to his consecutive negative-WAR seasons in Colorado and L.A., combined with his age (33, versus Urshela’s 31). The Colombian born infielder has posted positive WAR campaigns with New York and L.A. in each of the last five seasons, highlighted by a 3.8 WAR year with the Yankees in 2019.
