AL West 2023 Preview: Los Angeles Angels
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Major League Baseball is set for opening weekend. Inside the Rangers has updates on each of the Texas Rangers’ American League West rivals entering 2023.
2022 Record: 73-89, third place, AL West (33 games behind Houston).
Manager: Phil Nevin (46-60, entering first full season with Angels in 2023 after taking over on interim basis in 2022).
Free Agency Losses: P Michael Lorenzen (Detroit Tigers).
Free agency gains: P Tyler Anderson (three-year contract worth reported $39 million), 3B Brandon Drury (two-year contract worth reported $17 million), P Carlos Estevez (two-year contract worth reported $13.5 million), P Matt Moore (one-year contract worth reported $7.55 million), P Justin Garza (one-year split contract).
Trades: Acquired INF Gio Urshela from Minnesota Twins for RHP Alejandro Hidalgo; Traded RHPs Janson Junk and Elvis Peguero and LHP Adam Seminaris to Milwaukee Brewers for OF Hunter Renfroe.
Projected Lineup in Field: C Max Stassi, 1B Jared Walsh, 2B Brandon Drury, 3B Anthony Rendon, SS Luis Rengifo, LF Taylor Ward, CF Mike Trout, RF Hunter Renfroe, DH Shohei Ohtani
Projected Starting Rotation: Shohei Ohtani, Tyler Anderson, José Suarez, Patrick Sandoval, Reid Detmers, Tucker Davidson.
Outlook: The Angels are a good team, but they have one significant, lingering issue that will be one until its resolved, and that’s the future of Shohei Ohtani.
The game’s most versatile player is up for free agency after the 2023 season and the Angels reportedly flirted with the idea of trading him before the 2022 deadline. They didn’t and signed him to a $30 million deal for 2023.
After that? All bets are off. The Angels are no longer for sale, so there is stability on that front. However there is still Mike Trout’s obvious talent, large contract and propensity for injury. Can the Halos afford both? If Ohtani and Trout are healthy and productive, the Angels can be a really good team. There’s a solid supporting cast.
Signing Anderson gives them another quality arm in the rotation. But, if either Ohtani or Trout, or both, can’t stay healthy or don’t play to their talent, then late July in Anaheim could be quite dramatic and seismic for the franchise. If the Angels stick with a six-man rotation, which they’ve done since Ohtani is a two-way player, the sixth starter could fluctuate.
Logan O’Hoppe could end up with the starting catching job ahead of Max Stassi, but there was some question as to whether the top prospect would make the team or start in Triple-A. Either way, expect O’Hoppe to be a factor at some point this season.
What to Watch? More than any other AL West team, the Angels probably need to get off to a hot start to try and cool down any Ohtani trade talk. But if this this team is well out of the race come July, general manager Perry Minasian will have an awfully big decision to make.
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You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard
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