No. 2: Los Angeles Angels
Another club that has continued to fall short of expectations, the Los Angeles Angels fired manager Joe Maddon after a 14-game losing streak and now sit at 71-86 despite having two of the best players in baseball, Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani.
Those around baseball see a bleak future for the Angels. Ohtani just agreed to a $30 million salary for the 2023 season, which is a record amount for an arbitration eligible player, but few around the league expect him to remain with the Angels beyond next season. Mike Trout is entering the back half of his career, and the club has a mix of bad contracts and a terrible farm system.
Yet, there is an argument for the Angels being a prime landing spot for Schumaker. There are not many jobs in Southern California, and if Schumaker wants to be back at home, the Angels give him the opportunity to run a team and be close to his family. Although things seem bleak right now, betting on a team that has Ohtani and Trout isn’t the worst idea, and with new ownership coming, the team could be in much better shape in the near future.