Two weeks into the offseason, no workforce has been busier than the Los Angeles Angels. Proprietor Arte Moreno gave the entrance workplace “marching orders” to construct a contender in 2025 after the workforce misplaced a franchise-record 99 video games in 2024, and that has led to them choosing up Jorge Soler in a wage dump commerce and signing Kyle Hendricks and Travis d’Arnaud as free brokers. Payroll goes up after the Angels ranked thirteenth in Opening Day payroll this previous season.
“The economics for us are fairly good,” Moreno mentioned earlier this month in regards to the workforce’s reworked native tv contract (through the Los Angeles Occasions). “… 100%, we’re elevating our payroll.”
You needn’t strive exhausting to grasp GM Perry Minasian’s early offseason strikes. Soler at two years and $13 million apiece is extra inexpensive than a free agent like, say, Teoscar Hernández or Anthony Santander, and there is a nonzero probability Soler outperforms them in 2025. Hendricks at $2.5 million is nothing. That transfer is all upside. If he pitches properly, it is a discount. If he does not, you narrow him and transfer on. The Angels should hit on a number of lottery tickets like that to contend subsequent yr.
The d’Arnaud transfer is fascinating as a result of younger catcher Logan O’Hoppe is among the membership’s finest gamers. That mentioned, he began 5-6 consecutive days (days, not video games) behind the plate at instances this summer time, and that is not one thing that may proceed. The Angels want to cut back O’Hoppe’s workload a tad and d’Arnaud is perhaps the perfect backup catcher in baseball. Two years at $6 million a pop for d’Arnaud is greater than cheap when a glove-only backup like Austin Hedges bought $4 million for 2025 every week in the past.
As dangerous because the Angels have been in 2024, there’s some younger expertise on the roster. O’Hoppe is among the finest younger catchers in baseball. Shortstop Zach Neto simply had a 5.1 WAR season (although he may miss the beginning of 2025 with shoulder surgical procedure). First baseman Nolan Schanuel had a .373 on-base share within the second half. José Soriano’s transition from reliever to begin went splendidly. Squint your eyes and you’ll see the makings of subsequent contending Angels workforce taking form.
Right here, take a look at this Taylor Ward residence run on Sept. 15:
It is a late-season sport in opposition to a division rival and Angel Stadium is empty. I get it, Shohei Ohtani is gone and Mike Trout was harm, however the Angels haven’t any juice. They have to re-energize their fan base. There’s something to be mentioned for being respectable and simply giving people a motive to concentrate. It has by no means been simpler to get to the postseason. Closing some roster holes with Soler and d’Arnaud and the like can go a good distance each within the standings and on the turnstiles.
Prefer it or not, Angels followers, Moreno won’t authorize a full rebuild, and I am undecided what one would appear to be anyway with Trout not but prepared to waive his no-trade clause. The Angels have already got good younger gamers at catcher (O’Hoppe) and shortstop (Neto), two premium and hard-to-fill positions. Once you begin a rebuild, these two positions are fairly excessive on the to-do listing. The Angels have them taken care of already. Wanting a full-scale rebuild, that is the following neatest thing.
With that in thoughts, this is what else the Angels want to do that offseason to take extra steps towards respectability and perhaps even a postseason berth in 2025.
Add extra pitching
To get Soler, the Angels traded righty Griffin Canning, who wasn’t particularly good in 2024 (5.19 ERA) however did make 31 begins and throw 171 ⅔ innings. You possibly can’t count on Hendricks to switch that every one on his personal. Not at this level in his profession, anyway. In the meanwhile, the Angels’ rotation appears one thing like this:
- LHP Tyler Anderson
- RHP José Soriano
LHP Patrick Sandoval(will miss most or all of 2025 with Tommy John surgical procedure)- LHP Reid Detmers
- RHP Kyle Hendricks
- RHP Jack Kochanowicz
- RHP Davis Daniel
- LHP Sam Aldegheri
There’s clearly room for an additional veteran starter in there. Possibly even two contemplating how poorly Detmers pitched in 2024, even after being demoted to Triple-A. ESPN reported earlier this week that the Angels are anticipated to buy within the “midtier pitching market,” although it might be tough to win a bidding warfare for, say, Nick Pivetta or Luis Severino. The Angels may need to overpay free brokers to seal the deal. (Was every other workforce giving soon-to-be 36-year-old d’Arnaud two assured years?)
The Angels took on Soler in a wage dump commerce and that is perhaps their finest wager so as to add a veteran innings man. The Philadelphia Phillies would most likely give Taijuan Walker away. The New York Yankees will little doubt hear for those who present curiosity in Marcus Stroman. The St. Louis Cardinals are trimming payroll. Give them a name about Sonny Grey. The Seattle Mariners could not have a lot spending room this offseason. Are they open to transferring Luis Castillo? Why not ask?
The necessity for pitching extends to the bullpen too. Robert Stephenson, final offseason’s large free-agent signing, is predicted again from Tommy John surgical procedure at midseason. Till then, the Angels want to present nearer Ben Joyce some extra assist. Going into 2025 with righty Ryan Zeferjahn and lefty Brock Burke as the highest two setup choices is suboptimal. Minasian must dig up one other starter and a reliever or three. Pitching will doubtless be his precedence the remainder of the winter.
Herald yet one more bat
The unhappy actuality is the Angels must count on Trout to overlook time at this level in his profession. He is performed solely 266 of 648 attainable video games since 2021 and, in 2024, a pair of meniscus surgical procedures restricted him to simply 29 video games. Probably the most disheartening factor is that it is a completely different harm yearly. It isn’t one power harm that retains sending Trout to the injured listing. This yr it was the meniscus. Final yr it was his hamate. 4 years in the past it was his calf. So on and so forth.
Additionally, the Angels can not have any cheap expectation of Anthony Rendon staying wholesome. He has not performed even 60 video games since 2019 (to be truthful, he performed 52 of 60 video games in 2020). Luis Rengifo is an efficient participant and versatile, and chances are high he should step in and canopy third base for an prolonged stretch in 2025. The perfect predictor of future harm is previous harm and Rendon (and Trout) has loads of previous accidents at this level. The Angels must be ready for to be with out these two sooner or later.
Another high quality bat seems like a should this offseason, with second base and proper area the plain spots so as to add one. Former high prospects Jo Adell and Mickey Moniak are slotted right into a proper area platoon in the mean time and Rengifo is penciled in at second. Rengifo is flexible sufficient to maneuver round as wanted and there’ll undoubtedly be loads of enjoying time for Adell and Moniak all through the season. Would the Angels roll the cube on Gleyber Torres at second? What a couple of commerce for Cedric Mullins?
The present projected lineup appears one thing like this:
- SS Zach Neto, RHB
- CF Mike Trout, RHB
- 1B Nolan Schanuel, LHB
- DH Jorge Soler, RHB
- LF Taylor Ward, RHB
- C Logan O’Hoppe, RHB
- 3B Anthony Rendon, RHB
- 2B Luis Rengifo, SHB
- RF Jo Adell, RHB and Mickey Moniak, LHB
Another bona fide middle-of-the-order bat, somebody to push Ward all the way down to the No. 6 spot and O’Hoppe all the way down to No. 7, can be supreme. Ideally a lefty bat too. Managers speak about “lanes” for his or her late-inning relievers and that 1-7 stretch of the lineup is a good large lane for a top quality righty reliever. Combine in a lefty with some pop, and that is a decent group with some upside if Trout can keep on the sphere and the youngsters like O’Hoppe, Neto, and Schanuel proceed to take steps ahead.
Hold throwing darts
Hendricks had a 5.92 ERA in 2024 and the Angels will not be oblivious to this. That is why they gave him a $2.5 million contract and never $12.5 million. Hendricks is a low-cost roll of the cube, nothing extra, and the Angels ought to roll the cube a number of extra instances. Is Yoán Moncada open to being a bench man/Rendon harm substitute? Joey Gallo is simply 30 and might nonetheless hit a ball so far as anybody, along with enjoying each the outfield and first base. Veteran setup males Kendall Graveman and Lou Trivino missed 2024 with accidents. See if they will take minor-league contracts and showcase themselves in spring coaching. The Angels should be higher to be respectable in 2025. Additionally they must get slightly fortunate. Hold sifting by means of the sand and perhaps you may stumble onto some gold.
