For the 2023 season, the Angels had a lackluster performance once again with a record of 73-89, resulting in a winning percentage of .451. They went 38-43 at home and 35-46 on the road. This placed them fourth in their division, missing the postseason for the 9th straight year. Their payroll for the year was $230,534,276, which ranked them eighth in the league. A team who had a ton of depth to start the season ended with no depth at all as Angels placed 35 players on the IL this season for a total of 42 times, which was the third-highest total in MLB. Let's take a 2023 season review on the Angels.
Angels 2023 roster review:
Position players - The Angels' offensive performance in 2023 was mediocre, with most of their offensive categories ranking around league average. Ohtani, Trout, and Moniak stood out, and others like Brandon Drury and Luis Rengifo showed promise. Drury's power and versatility made him a valuable asset, while Rengifo improved his plate discipline.
CATCHERS - Matt Thaiss played the most games at catcher this season with 82 games with a batting average (AVG) of .214, 9 HR, 31 RBI, on-base percentage (OBP) of .319, and slugging percentage (SLG) of .340. He contributed 0.3 fWAR.
Logan O'Hoppe, who was expected to play most of the year at catcher but caught a shoulder injury that made him miss 4 months, played 49 games at Catcher - .236 AVG/14 HR/ 29 RBI/ .796 OPS.
Chad Wallach also spent 59 games at Catcher but was quite disappointing - .197 AVG/ 7 HR/ 15 RBI/ .635 OPS.
There was also Chris Okey who went hitless in 2 at-bats and later released.
INFIELDERS - Brandon Drury had a more impressive performance and was arguably the best offensive infielder playing 1st and 2nd base with a .262 AVG, 26 HR, 83 RBI, .803 OPS, and .497 SLG, resulting in 2.5 fWAR. Drury missed 37 games due to mostly an injury he had so these stats are pretty nice for someone not playing all the games. He was probably the only decent signing last off-season.
Luis Rengifo played infield but primarily second base and also had a wonderful year before it was cut short due to injury. He had a .264 AVG, 16 HR, 51 RBI .783 OPS, and .444 SLG, earning 1.9 fWAR in 126 games.
Zach Neto made his MLB debut this season and was projected to be the everyday Shortstop but only played 84 games due to injuries - .225 AVG, 9 HR, 34 RBI, 5 SB, .685 OPS. He's still young and probably would have hit better if it weren't for the injuries, was very nice at defense.
Gio Urshela season ended early due to injury after just 62 games. He was a nice off-season acquisition as well and his season ending injury was one of the first tough blows for the Angels. He hit .299 AVG, 2 HR, 24 RBI, .703 OPS this season. Urshela will unfortunately be a free agent but hopefully he re-signs as he's a proven good hitter.
Mike Moustakas played primarily 1st and 3rd base for the Angels and was a nice mid-season acquisition. Although he didn't hit the best, he was a nice acquisition with all the injuries Angels dealt with. He had a .236 AVG, 8 HR, 31 RBI, .627 OPS with the Angels. He will be a free agent but I got a feeling he may re-sign as not many teams want him and Angels never gave up on him.
Eduardo Escobar was another mid-season acquisition due to injuries who played primarily 2nd and 3rd base for the Angels. He was not good offensively but Angels needed someone as thier depth disappeared. Escobar had a .219 AVG, 2 HR, 15 RBI, .562 OPS in 60 games, awful. He has a club option next season but I can't imagine Angels picking it up.
Anthony Rendon, perhaps one of the worst signings for the Angels history, played only 43 games this season. In 2019, he signed a 7-year $245 million contract and only played 200 of possible 648 games for the Angels and just finished his 4th year of his contract. Awful. Not only that, he's hit very poor in the games he played. He once again struggled this season with a .236 AVG, 2 HR, 22 RBI, .679 OPS, and .318 SLG, contributing only 0.2 fWAR. Every year struggles with injuries and hitting.
First baseman Nolan Schanuel was a hidden gem for the Angels. Making his MLB debut in August this year and being drafted just a month before was exceptional. One of his best strengths was finding a way on-base which is very important in baseball. He reached base safely in all 29 games he played, setting a franchise record and tying Enos Slaughtet for the third-longest on-base streak to start a major league career. Amazing and nice to know we have a new solid everyday first baseman in the future. He had a .275 AVG, 1 HR, 6 RBI, and .732 OPS. I know it's a small sample size but doing that 1 month after getting drafted is amazing.
David Fletcher was once an everyday infielder but bounced around the Minors and Majors these past few years due to injury and not being the same player he once was. This season he played just 33 games and had a .247 AVG, 2 HR, 12 RBI, .628 OPS.
Other notable infielders included - 2B/3B Michael Stefanic (.290 AVG, 6 RBI, .735 OPS, 25 games/ pretty good in that stretch), SS Andrew Velazquez (.173 AVG, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 13 SB, .548 OPS in 54 games/ awful hitting and later claimed off waivers by the Braves), 1B Jared Walsh (.125 AVG, 4 HR, 11 RBI, .495 OPS in 39 games/ once an All-Star first baseman now barely struggling to play in the league due to his headaches and insomnia), 1B Jake Lamb (.216 AVG, 2 HR, 5 RBI, .612 OPS in 19 games/ didn't last long and let go in July) 1B CJ Cron (.200 AVG, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 15 games/ traded back to Angels to help Angels make postseason, huge disappointment as he was injured most of the time. He will be a free agent this off-season), 2B/SS Kyren Paris (.100 AVG, 1 RBI, 3 SB, .300 OPS, 15 games) 2B/SS Livan Soto (.222 AVG in 4 games), INF Kevin Padlo (.125 AVG in 3 games)
OUTFIELDERS - In left field, Taylor Ward had a .253 AVG, 14 HR, 47 RBI, 4 SB, .756 OBS, and .421 SLG, resulting in 1.5 fWAR. Ward was having a nice year before taking a pitch to the head that took him out for the rest of the season in July.
Center fielder Mike Trout had a disappointing year with a long injury that kept him out half the season. Not only that, he had a quiet offensive year with a .263 AVG, 18 HR, 44 RBI, .857 OPS, and .490 SLG, accumulating 3.0 fWAR. Very weird seeing that from one of the best players in baseball.
Hunter Renfroe was another nice a question from last off-season and played right field before being waived in late August. He had a .242 AVG, 19 HR, 56 RBI, .304 OBP, and .434 SLG, contributing 1.1 fWAR. Not bad but waived to make some cap space for the Angels as during that time they gave up on the postseason push.
Outfielder, Mickey Moniak, had a pretty nice year. Perhaps one silver lining with all the Angels injuries is that it allowed Moniak to redeem himself. Before this season, the former first overall pick struggled hard and wasn't expected to play much this season but with all the injuries, it gave him the opportunity to play more and show his worth. This season Moniak had a .280 AVG, 14 HR, 45 RBI, 6 SB, .802 OPS in 85 games. Arguably the best offensive outfielder this season.
Outfielder Randal Grichuk acquired at trade deadline to help give Angels a postseason push. At the time it was a great trade as he hit over .300 AVG with a .861 OPS but when he came to the Angels he was a huge disappointment. Grichuk had a .216 AVG, 8 HR, 17 RBI, .676 OPS in 54 games. He was waived by the Angels twice but no one wanted him so he stayed with Angels. He's a free agent this off-season.
Outfielder Brett Phillips was signed last off-season to bring in more energy and provide clutch hits. He did none of that for Angels and had a .175 AVG, 3 HR, 6 RBI, .601 OPS in 40 games. Free agent this offseason, can't imagine he comes back.
Outfielder and former Angels 1st round pick, Jo Adell, with another disappointing season. He finished his 4th MLB season and continued to bounce around the Minors and Majors again until picking up a season-ending injury. Tough as we can see the potential in him but just can't prove himself. He finished with a .206 AVG, 3 HR, 6 RBI, .706 OPS in 17 games.
Other notable Outfielders:
OF/1B Trey Cabbage (.208 AVG, 1 HR, 7 RBI, .553 OPS in 22 games/ made MLB debut this season and has potential), OF Jordyn Adams (.128 AVG, 1 RBI, .253 OPS in 17 games/ former Angels 1st round pick who's looking like a bust)
DESIGNATED HITTER - Last but not least, Shohei Ohtani served as the designated hitter and had an outstanding season with a .304 AVG (9th in MLB), 44 HR (4th in MLB), 95 RBI, 20 SB, .412 OBP (2nd in MLB), 1.066 OPS (1st in MLB), and .654 SLG (1st in MLB), amassing 6.6 fWAR. Insane and he's a pitcher, too. We don't deserve him. Cleary the best Angels hitter and probably AL MVP but unfortunately had a season-ending injury late in the season. Things did not end well with Ohtani and the Angels and probably is his last year with the Angels.
The 2023 pitching:
STARTING PITCHING - The Angels starting rotation this season wasn't the best but wasn't the worst either. It's shown promise compared to other years and they're an Ace or 2 away with a few changes in the rotation from having a dominating starting rotation. Here's who was apart of it.
Shohei Ohtani, who pitched 132.0 innings with an ERA of 3.14 and a WHIP of 1.06, earning 2.4 fWAR, 10-5 record with 167 SO. Best starting pitcher on the team clearly this season.
Reid Detmers pitched 148.2 innings with an ERA of 4.48 and a WHIP of 1.35, contributing 2.5 fWAR, 4-10 record, 168 SO. Still super young and potential to be the Angels ace.
Patrick Sandoval pitched 144.2 innings with an ERA of 4.11 and a WHIP of 1.51, earning 2.4 fWAR, 7-13 record, 128 SO. Solid starting pitcher who is only getting better.
Tyler Anderson pitched 141.0 innings with an ERA of 5.43 and a WHIP of 1.49, contributing 1.1 fWAR, 6-6 record, 119 SO. Was a huge disappointment compared to last year with the Dodgers. He's signed until 2025 so Angels will need to decide to either trade him or fix him because his performance this year was unacceptable.
Griffin Canning pitched 127.0 innings with an ERA of 4.32 and a WHIP of 1.24, earning 1.8 fWAR, 7-8 record, 139 SO. Has potential to be good if mentored the right way.
Other Starting pitching -
Chase Silseth (4-1 record, 3.96 ERA, 56 SO in 8 starts, 16 total games/ was a solid starting pitcher towards the end with potential to be a everyday starter), Jose Suarez (1-3 record, 8.29 ERA, 28 SO in 7 starts, 11 total games/ had an awful year and spent most of season on IL, extremely inconsistent as a starter and Angels need to move on or quit starting him), Jaime Barria (2-6 record, 5.68 ERA, 62 SO in 6 starts, 34 total games/ another extremely inconsistent pitcher with an awful year this season, was more of a reliever resulting in a negative fWAR of -0.7), Lucas Giolito (1-5 record, 6.89 ERA, 34 SO in 6 Angels starts/ was a trade deadline acquisition that looked like a great trade at first but was a huge disappointment and contributed to Angels giving up on the postseason push, later waived), Kenny Rosenberg (2-2 record, 3.82 ERA, 29 SO in 3 starts, 7 total games/ became a starting pitcher the last month and looked pretty good with some potential).
Relievers for the Angels in 2023:
The Angels had one of the worst bullpens in the league this season. Many games were lost becuase of them. It ranked 26th in the league with a 4.88 ERA. Awful. Here's who contributed.
Carlos Estévez, served as the Angels Closer and had a fantastic first half of the season which made him an All-Star. In the first half of the 2023 season, Estévez had a 1.80 ERA and was successful in converting 21-of-21 save opportunities. After that, he lost momentum and looked awful blowing 4 saves and hardly pitched scoreless appearances. He finished pitching 62.1 innings with an ERA of 3.90 and a WHIP of 1.49, contributing 0.9 fWAR, 5-5 record, 78 SO, 31 saves (11th in MLB).
Aaron Loup had an awful year. He was signed in 2022 after being one of the top relievers in the league but when he came to the Angels he was terrible. This season he pitched 48.2 innings with an ERA of 6.10 and a WHIP of 1.75, but only contributed 0.2 fWAR, 2-3 record, 45 SO. Loup has a club option next year but I can't imagine the Angels picking it up.
Matt Moore signed last off-season and was solid but was waived later for salary cap purposes. He pitched 44.0 innings with an impressive ERA of 2.66 and a WHIP of 1.02, earning 0.5 fWAR, 4-1 record, 49 SO for the Angels before being claimed by Cleveland.
Jose Soriano made his MLB debut this season after being called up in June. Had a solid year for a rookie reliever with potential. Looked pretty good in the end. He pitched 42 IP, 1-3 record, 3.64 ERA, 56 SO.
Andrew Wantz was a decent reliever this year. Pitched 39.1 IP, 2-0 record, 3.89 ERA, 33 SO.
Chris Devenski didn't have a good year with the Angels and was later released. Pitched 33.2 IP, 3-2 record, 5.08 ERA, 33 SO, 3 blown saves.
Tucker Davidson spent the first half with the Angels before being moved to Kansas. Pitched 31.2 IP, 1-1 record, 6.54 ERA, 31 SO with the Angels. Good thing they moved on from him as he has pitched very poorly.
Jacob Webb spent most of the season with the Angels before being claimed by the Orioles. Pitched 31.2 IP, 1-1 record, 3.98 ERA, 34 SO with the Angels. Pretty surprising Angels moved on from him as he was a solid reliever.
Jimmy Herget had some ups and downs this season. Pitched 29 IP, 2-4 record, 4.66 ERA, 26 SO.
Sam Bachman made his MLB debut this season and was a pretty solid pitcher until he unfortunately picked up an injury in July and missed the rest of the season. Pitched 17 IP, 1-2 record, 3.18 ERA, 14 SO.
Other notable relievers:
Dominic Leone traded to Angels mid-season to help bullpen but did opposite - 5.54 ERA in 13 IP,
Reynaldo Lopez was traded to Angels mid-season to help bullpen and did but was later let go to save cap space since Angels later gave up on playoff push - 2.77 ERA, 19 SO in 13 IP.
Davis Daniel made MLB debut this season and was solid - 2.19 ERA in 12.1 IP.
Carson Fulmer made his Angels debut in the last few weeks of the season and was okay in his time - 2.70 ERA in 10 IP, made 1 start with no runs allowed.
Ben Joyce made his MLB debut this season and was a solid pitcher until he missed 3 months due to injury, looking like future ace of bullpen. 5.40 ERA in 10 IP, don't let ERA fool you.
Gerardo Reyes was not good and recently elected free ageny - 7.45 ERA in 9.2 IP.
Jose Marte was not good - 8.68 ERA in 9.1 IP.
Jose Quijada looked very good until his last 2 appearances that later revealed he needed Tommy John surgery very early in the season, unfortunate loss - 6.00 ERA in 9 IP, didn't allow a run his first 8 appearances.
Ryan Tepera was awful for the Angels. Was released early in the season - 7.27 ERA in 8.2 IP.
Jhonathan Diaz didn't pitch much but didn't look good either - 10.29 ERA in 7 IP.
Kolton Ingram made MLB debut this season and didn't look good - 8.44 ERA in 5.1 IP
Zack Weiss pitched a few games before being let go - 5.06 ERA in 5.1 IP.
Victor Mederos made MLB debut this season but barely pitched - 9.00 ERA in 3 IP.
Austin Warren pitched 1.2 innings before getting a season ending injury super early in the season.
Kelvin Caceres made MLB debut last week of season - 6.75 ERA in 1.1 IP.
Reyes Moronta pitched 6.75 ERA in 1.1 IP.
And that was pretty much it for the bullpen. Some positions players pitched as well like Eduardo Escobar, Jake Lamb, and Brett Phillips but they were only in when the game was a blowout. Overall, bullpen needs a ton of improvement.
The Angels' 2023 season was marked by a mix of highs and lows. They had a strong start, with Shohei Ohtani performing exceptionally well, but injuries and poor performances by some key players, along with a losing streak and a terrible month of August that derailed their playoff hopes. The team made significant trades at the deadline in an attempt to salvage the season, but it ultimately ended in disappointment.
Angels All-Stars:
Shohei Ohtani - made his 3rd All-Star appearance this year.
Mike Trout - made his 11th All-Star appearance this year but didn't play due to injury.
Carlos Estevez - made his first All-Star appearance after having a great first half of the season.
In the future, the Angels face uncertainty, especially regarding Shohei Ohtani's impending free agency. The team may need to focus on rebuilding and improving their farm system to secure a brighter future. Fans will also be watching to see if Mike Trout, one of the game's superstars, remains with the team or if a trade becomes a possibility.
Looking back on the 2023 Angels regular season, it's clear that it was a disappointment for Angels fans. Despite having two of the game's biggest stars in Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout, the Angels failed to capitalize on their potential. The team had been spending money on high-profile players like Anthony Rendon in previous years, but their efforts didn't translate into success on the field.
The season began with optimism, with Shohei Ohtani proving himself as one of the most exceptional talents in baseball. He was on track to challenge the single-season home run record and was poised to win his second AL MVP. The rest of the team needed to perform well enough to support Ohtani's incredible skills and secure a spot in the playoffs. The best record the Angels had this season was when they were 8 games above .500 twice, a 40-32 and 41-33 record. The biggest win streak they had was 5 games twice and biggest losing streak was 7. They went 38-43 at home and 35-46 on the road. In one-run games, or games that went into extra innings, the 2023 Los Angeles Angels went 24-23. During the regular season, the 2023 Los Angeles Angels went 7-8 in extra inning games.
By July, the Angels were in the Wild Card race and even had a shot at the AL West. Players like Mickey Moniak, who had previously struggled in the MLB, were stepping up to contribute. However, injuries plagued the team. Mike Trout had a down year by his standards, and Anthony Rendon's signing didn't pay off as he played very few games. Promising rookie Logan O'Hoppe's season was cut short due to injury.
To bolster their chances, the Angels made significant moves at the trade deadline, but these acquisitions didn't live up to expectations. A losing streak in August marked a downward spiral, and then the devastating news came that Shohei Ohtani had a season-ending UCL injury. The Angels admitted their failure by placing many of their deadline acquisitions on waivers, essentially ending their season.
The pitching staff was one of the worst in the league, despite a high strikeout rate. The starting rotation, aside from Ohtani, was serviceable, with promising young talents like Reid Detmers and Patrick Sandoval. However, the bullpen struggled, and the loss of Raisel Iglesias was keenly felt. Carlos Estévez had some success as a closer, but the bullpen's overall performance was disappointing.
The issues highlighted in the season preview, such as roster construction, depth, bullpen, and injuries, contributed to the Angels' lack of success. The competitive AL West made it difficult for the team to contend.
One silver lining in the awful season was Nolan Schanuel's rapid rise from being a college student at FAU to starting at first base for the Angels within a few months was a remarkable surprise. Schanuel showcased elite bat-to-ball skills in his first MLB games and displayed great contact ability. His quick progression was impressive, and he appears to be a promising young talent for the Angels.
35 Players on IL this season:
Davis Daniel - missed most of season with shoulder injury
Jared Walsh - placed on IL before season started with insomniaa/headaches,
Jose Marte - missed most of season with elbow injury
Max Stassi - missed whole season with hip injury
Griffin Canning - placed on IL twice and missed about a month total time
Ryan Tepera - spent few weeks on IL with shoulder injury
Logan O'Hoppe - spent over 4 months on IL with shoulder injury
Aaron Loup - went on IL twice for a total of a few weeks missed
Chad Wallach - spent a week on IL with concussion
Jose Suarez - missed over 4 months with shoulder injury
Anthony Rendon - went on IL 3 times missing most of the season
Matt Moore - spent a few weeks on IL with oblique injury
Ben Joyce - missed about 3 months with ulnar neuritis injury
Zach Neto - went on the IL twice and missed about 2 months total
Brandon Drury - spent about on IL with shoulder injury
Mike Trout - went on IL twice and missed about 3 months total
Jo Adell - missed over 2 months with oblique strain
Chris Devenski - missed over a month with hamstring injury
C.J. Cron - missed over a month with back injury
Matt Thaiss - missed about a week with shoulder injury
Chase Silseth - missed about a month with concussion
Mickey Moniak - missed a few weeks with back injury
Jamie Barria - missed a few weeks with hamstring injury
Mike Moustakas - missed a few weeks with forearm injury
Shohei Ohtani - missed last few weeks of season with elbow injury
Tyler Anderson - missed a few weeks with knee injury
Patrick Sandoval - missed last week of season with oblique injury
Chris Rodriguez - missed whole season with shoulder injury
Jose Quijada - out for season in April with Tommy John surgery
Austin Warren - out for season in April with Tommy John surgery
Gio Urshela - out for season in June with pelvis injury
Sam Bachman - out for season in July with shoulder injury
Taylor Ward - out for season in July with face injury
Luis Rengifo - out for season in September with bicep injury
Kyren Paris - out for season in September with thumb injury
There you have it. With all these injuries, it was nearly impossible to have a good season but it wasn't the only factor to Angels disappointing season.
Angels Awards:
Team MVP - Shohei Ohtani
No doubt, the team MVP and probably the AL MVP. He hit really well and had a .304 AVG, 44 HR, 95 RBI, 20 SB, 1.066 OPS, and .654 SLG, amassing 6.6 fWAR. He pitched very well as well
pitching 132.0 innings with an ERA of 3.14 and a WHIP of 1.06, earning 2.4 fWAR, 10-5 record with 167 SO. There is no other player like him so this honor is a no brainer.
Best Hitter - Shohei Ohtani
Just another clear choice, he led the Angels in almost every offensive stat. Pretty crazy that as a pitcher, he's the best hitter for the Angels.
Best Pitcher - Shohei Ohtani
Yup, not only was he the best hitter but also the best pitcher for the Angels. He had the best ERA among starting pitchers and never was a let down when pitching.
Reliever of the Year - Matt Moore
Finally an award that can't go to Ohtani since he didn't pitch any relief innings. This was pretty hard to choose since many of the Angels relievers sucked. But I think Matt Moore was the best reliever and just foolish to waive him. Yes I'm aware it was for salary cap reasons but he's a veteran who can help lead the bullpen and that's something the Angels are missing now.
Angels Rookie of the Year - Nolan Schanuel
He didn't play the whole year and only played 29 games but he was undoubtedly the best rookie out of all the Angels rookies. He was drafted this year just months before making his MLB debut. He reached base safely in all 29 games he played. Crazy. Most rookies need a few years of development to make the big leagues but not Schanuel.
Best Minor League Player - Trey Cabbage
He had a great year for the Salt Lake Bees this season. He had a .306 AVG, 30 HR, 89 RBI, 32 SB, .975 OPS in 107 games. Insane. Cabbage became just the sixth player in the 120-year history of the Pacific Coast League to produce a 30-homer, 30-steal season. Cabbage finished tied for the league lead in home runs and was in the top 10 in total bases, RBIs, stolen bases, slugging percentage and OPS. Cabbage did make his MLB debut and didn't hit as good but there's a ton of potential with him.
Records broken this season:
Most runs in a game in franchise history - 25 (vs the Colorado Rockies)
Most hit in a game in franchise history - 28 (vs the Colorado Rockies)
I'm sure there's more records broken by Angels this season just need to remember.
MLB debuts (12):
Jordyn Adams
Sam Bachman
Trey Cabbage
Kelvin Caceres
Davis Daniel
Kolton Ingram
Ben Joyce
Victor Mederos
Zach Neto
Kyren Paris
Nolan Schanuel
Jose Soriano
New Players with Angels:
Brandon Drury
Hunter Renfroe (on new team now)
Mike Moustakas
Gio Urshela
Randal Grichuk
Eduardo Escobar
Brett Phillips
Jake Lamb
CJ Cron
Tyler Anderson
Carlos Estevez
Matt Moore (on new team now)
Chris Devenski (on new team now)
Lucas Giolito (on new team now)
Jacob Webb (on new team now)
Dominic Leone (on new team now)
Reynaldo Lopez (on new team now)
Carson Fulmer
Reyes Moronta
+all the guys making MLB debuts above
Players gone:
Hunter Renfroe
Andrew Velazquez
Matt Moore
Chris Devenski
Lucas Giolito
Tucker Davidson
Jacob Webb
Dominic Leone
Reynaldo Lopez
Ryan Tepera
Zack Weiss
Free agents:
Shohei Ohtani
Randal Grichuk
Eduardo Escobar (club option)
Aaron Loup (club option)
Gio Urshela
CJ Cron
Mike Moustakas
Kevin Padlo
Reyes Moronta
Gerardo Reyes
Jared Walsh (if he denies Minor league move)
Jamie Barria (if he denies Minor league move)
Chad Wallach (if he denies Minor league move)
Brett Phillips (if he denies Minor league move)
Biggest needs:
Bullpen - The Angels bullpen was terrible and were ranked one of the worst bullpens in the league. There is really no one on the team right now that is projected to be a great reliever next season. They do have some young guys with potential - Sam Bachman, Davis Daniel, Ben Joyce, Andrew Wantz - but these are young guys. The Angels need some veteran leadership.
Third Baseman - Right now they have a first baseman (Nolan Schanuel), 2nd baseman (Luis Rengifo, Brandon Drury), Shortstop (Zach Neto) but an unreliable third baseman, Anthony Rendon. With Rendon always getting injured and playing half the season every year, the Angels need to find someone else. They could re-sign Gio Urshela or Moustakas but who knows if they'll want to come back.
Outfield - They have Mike Trout at Centerfield but he gets injured a lot these past few years and he might even get traded. They have Mickey Moniak and Taylor Ward, too, but it's not enough if Trout is injured or traded. Jo Adell is an option but he hasn't proven himself as a Major League player. So bringing in an outfielder who can play any spot in the outfield could help a lot.
What's next?
Well, that's up to Angels GM, Perry Minasian. They either tank and rebuild or try to compete for playoffs. Phil Nevin is no longer the Manager so getting a new one is a start. They also let go of thier assistant GM, Alex Tamin. If Shohei Ohtani departs in the offseason, Mike Trout could become the Angels' most valuable asset for starting a rebuilding phase. While his contract is massive, there may be teams willing to take on that commitment given Trout's status as one of the best players in baseball. Trout trade rumors might continue to circulate, especially if the Angels struggle in the future, though he currently doesn't seem inclined to request a trade. The Angels could face the challenge of rebuilding their roster and farm system in the coming years. In my opinion, I don't think the Angels need to rebuild. They have potentially great starting pitching, good offense if it wasn't for the injuries, and have a lot of young guys with a ton of potential. Their biggest weakness was the bullpen so Minasian needs to shop for some good bullpen additions and the Angels can have a chance to have a solid team next season, we'll see. Follow me and my instagram @sports_news_la for any Angels news and scores!
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