The Angels’ last-gasp push for a postseason bid with Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout on the same roster fizzled late in 2023. After an aggressive deadline highlighted by the acquisitions of Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez, Randal Grichuk and C.J. Cron, the Halos embarked on the equivalent of an August fire sale, placing nearly a quarter of their roster on outright waivers late in the month, in hopes of shedding some payroll and perhaps dipping under the luxury tax threshold. While Giolito, Lopez, Hunter Renfroe, Matt Moore and Dominic Leone were all claimed by other clubs and changed hands, the Halos still remained a bit north of the tax line.
Now faced with the possibility — if not the likelihood — of Ohtani signing elsewhere in free agency, there have been ample questions about the team’s direction. However, general manager Perry Minasian made clear at newly hired manager Ron Washington’s introductory press conference that he has no plans to take a step back, let alone embark on a full-scale rebuild (link via ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez).
“We’re going to be aggressive this offseason, and we’re going to make this team better,” Minasian said.
With Ohtani’s potential departure and the aforementioned slate of waiver departures late in the season, there’s no shortage of holes for the Angels to fill. That said, Minasian and his staff also have plenty of financial leeway to augment the club. Roster Resource projects a $152MM Opening Day payroll in Anaheim — roughly $60MM shy of the team’s franchise-record mark. Whether owner Arte Moreno will green-light a return to those heights remains unclear, but the Angels haven’t had an Opening Day payroll shy of $182MM since 2019. (Their prorated payroll in the shortened 2020 season was just over $71MM — the equivalent of about $192MM over a full schedule.)
Perhaps the most glaring area of need for the Halos, as has often been the case even during Ohtani’s stay with the club, lies in the rotation. The Angels’ starting staff ranked 19th in the Majors with a 4.47 ERA — and that included Ohtani’s 3.14 mark in 132 innings. The staff at present is slated to include Reid Detmers, Tyler Anderson, Patrick Sandoval, Griffin Canning and Chase Silseth, with younger arms like Sam Bachman and Davis Daniel among the depth options to already accrue some MLB service.
It’s a deep crop of free-agent pitchers this offseason, headlined of course by Ohtani — who won’t pitch next year due to elbow surgery but figures to return to the mound in 2025 — and a slate of intriguing arms. Blake Snell hits the market fresh off his second career Cy Young Award, while NPB ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto will be posted for big league clubs and likely sign the largest contract of any player ever making the jump from Japan to North American ball. Others on the market include Aaron Nola, Jordan Montgomery, Sonny Gray, Eduardo Rodriguez and a second highly touted NPB arm: lefty Shota Imanaga.
For all of the Angels’ struggles, their lineup is set in many places. Trout has increasingly battled injuries in recent seasons but remains one of MLB’s premier hitters when healthy. Taylor Ward didn’t fully replicate his 2022 breakout but had a solid season nonetheless, while former No. 1 overall pick Mickey Moniak had a breakout of his own. That pair will presumably flank Trout in the outfield.
On the infield dirt, 2022 first-round pick Zach Neto had an excellent debut at shortstop but saw his production take a nosedive after a trip to the injured list. Neto graded as a quality defender at the position and batted .259/.338/.431 through his first 200 plate appearances prior to landing on the IL. If he can get back to that form, he looks every bit the part of an everyday MLB shortstop. Switch-hitting Luis Rengifo had a breakout year at the plate and figures to handle second base duties. Young catcher Logan O’Hoppe, who swatted 14 homers in just 199 plate appearances but missed most of the year with a labrum tear, is in line for a full healthy season in ’24.
The Angels even got an encouraging debut from their top pick in this past summer’s draft, as first baseman Nolan Schanuel sprinted to the big leagues and batted .275/.402/.330 in his first 132 plate appearances. If either Rengifo or Schanuel falters, veteran infielder Brandon Drury is on hand to take up a larger share of plate appearances. If not, he can split time with former star Anthony Rendon at the hot corner and/or log some time at designated hitter.
Rendon’s decline at the plate and frequent injury issues since signing a seven-year, $245MM contract are perhaps the single largest detriment to the Angels’ efforts to improve for the upcoming campaign. He’s owed $38MM annually in each of the next three seasons, making the contract all but immovable and leaving the Angels will little recourse but to hope for a rebound — if not to his former MVP-caliber output then at least to something resembling a solid regular at the position. Rendon did post a hearty .361 OBP and walk nearly as often as he struck out (13.7% against 14.8%) in last year’s 183 trips to the plate, but his power has largely eroded and he’s played in just 36.6% of the Angels’ games since signing his megadeal.
The Angels, then, are set to face a host of familiar problems. As has been the case for more than a decade, they’re saddled with at least one immovable megadeal gone wrong, while the farm system is once again regarded among the thinnest in the league. Minasian has the funds to make some aggressive splashes in free agency, but ending a playoff drought that dates back to 2014 is a daunting task — particularly when the Angels have been unable to do so even while rostering two of the generation’s premier talents in Trout and Ohtani.
Washington, for his part, voiced confidence and seemed unfazed by the challenges that lay ahead.
“If you remember now — I was in Texas, and guess what we did? We ran the Angels down,” Washington said in reference to his former stint as Rangers’ manager, during which he oversaw consecutive World Series appearances (and losses). Washington pointed to the irony that the script has now been flipped as he’s tasked with helping the Angels run down the Rangers before voicing confidence and declaring the Angels’ “whole focus” to be on returning to the top of the American League West.
Maybe they should rebuild. Just a suggestion. Arte hasn’t called me, though.
They absolutely need to rebuild. But the owner’s stupidity make this team terrible. He might try to sign another hitter to advertise. Sad for the fans!
Naw, the problem is they want to be seen as a “big money” team, but dont invest in any of the basics. We have one of the worst dev staffs based on sheer size, our tech is middle of the league and his cheap azzzz just refuses to go above the cap for the right deal. A rebuild wouldnt do anythin and the odds of another trout or ohtani are very slim. Until Arte sells, this team will have to get ULTRA lucky.
I agree, Rev. Until Arte sells the team nothing good will come.
Rev?
He was someone on halos heaven
I know it’s not a popular take, but as good as Shohei is and the stats that he puts up, he was not a good fit for the Angels.
The DH slot was needed for Trout (and others) to rest during key stretches of the season. The starting crew is forced as a 6-man rotation when it’s not staffed (nor funded) for 6 starters. You then have one less bullpen arm. If you look at the 2021-23 innings stats, the Angels really never had a true 6th starter which put further pressure on the bullpen. The “two-way” star is great for marketing and for ESPN, but I’m not so sure for winning in the MLB.
He wasn’t a good fit. He took up the DH spot and forced the Angels to go to a six man rotation.
The Angels never had the depth to accommodate him. Great move for the right team. Right now the Angels are not the right team.
What you’re correctly noting hasn’t been considered by much by the media. The Angels were able to construct a team around Ohtani, but I’m not sure teams in true contention can do this as easily, especially as he ages and injuries will become more likely.
The winner of the Ohtani sweepstakes has to:
1) Build a six-man rotation around him for years to come;
2) Accept that the DH spot can not be used to rest other players, which will overall impact roster construction for years to come;
3) Build contingency plans for when he’s injured, losing both an impact starter and a hitter in a single injury;
4) Plan for the potential of Ohtani eventually having to give up one of the disciplines, even as they pay him to do both.
I’m not saying teams shouldn’t sign Ohtani, but the Angels likely already got the best of Ohtani. Injuries increase during a player’s 30s and this is a man attempting to be both a high-end pitcher and hitter.
This is what the Dodgers have to offer. The fit makes more and more sense
I almost added at the end that the Dodgers are one of the few teams that could handle Ohtani’s contract and handle #’s 1 through 4. Not just me, that’s the consensus on why people believe he will be a Dodger.
The Dodgers are a blueprint fit for Shohei. He has to be a complimentary piece – you can’t have your “ace” only throw 130 innings every season. People mention the Giants but I feel the Giants would need him the same way as the Angels.
And keep this in mind – for however long he signs, consider the DH slot is booked for that entire period. So for the claims of a 10-year contract – your team has to be young enough to not *need* that DH slot for rest. And at least for the past 3 seasons or so, Shohei did not like being out of the lineup. That DH slot was his.
I think Joel Sherman actually brought up those points late in the season MLBN.
Exactly this. Plus the fact that Ohtani money can be spent well elsewhere. Say he ONLY gets $40 million a year. $40 million gets a couple of darn good pitchers for a FIVE man rotation.
Why precisely does Ohtani necessitate a 6-man rotation? Just because the Angels allowed for one ?? I never heard this being on the demand list for where ever he lands. Of course people aren’t talking about it because it won’t be an issue for 2024 but why can’t he pitch in a 5-man rotation, just physically unable???
The emphasis on those things means you’re getting more second basemen hitting 15-20+ HRs, which means you can deal more with a Grace, Casey, or Wally Joyner type. All three had long successful careers in the steroid era. And I’d say that era was a more dangerous era offensively.
Not to mention, if they do sign him again, we will hear for the next 10 years how they don’t have the money for top or even mid-tier free agents because so much is wrapped up in him and Trout. Arte has shown he will make a huge splash with 1-2 free agents, and then expect the team to compete with a roster full of mid-tier AAA players.
This is a nice rationalization, but Ohtani is good for everyone. Without Ohtani they would have won at least 10 less games. How can they be better off without their #1 Pitcher and their best hitter? Trout got hurt at the plate, not running around in the outfield. The Angels talk tough each year and each year we all buy in and get hopeful. They need to sign TWO PREMIUM STARTERS, That means Snell or Nola and another premium arm. Then they should trade for another, so they are strong at #1, #2 and #3. My #4 and #5 would be Silseth and Detmers. I’d trade Canning and Sandoval. Daniels and Bachman are depth. They have to be honest and get creative.
I’m very aware of the Aesop fables story of sour grapes, and I’ve asked myself if it is sour grapes, but I don’t think so.
If the Angels get a top end, every five day rotation starter, and free up the DH spot for Drury, Rengifo, Trout, and Rendon, I think they’ll be better off.
The Angels don’t have the team to go to a 6th man rotation or lock up the DH spot.
An astute GM can spend that 40 million dollars elsewhere. Now I’m not so sure the Angels have an astute GM.
Nukeg, the 6 man rotation did not mean that the Angels had one less bullpen arm. Ohtani as a two way player did not count toward the 13 pitcher roster restriction, so the Angels generally carried 8 relievers, same as they would have with a 5 man rotation.
They should’ve rebuilt years ago.
Nah…this off-season will be The Re-Tool season 20 (ish).
Exactly! Like when Ohtani had his first TJ. That would have been a perfect time to rebuild and would have put the Halos in position to contend during his last three years with the team.
The team Las Vegas is about to get will probably make it to a World Series before Anaheim makes the playoffs… so will Seattle.
The Mariners and Angels will continue their battle for mediocrity in the AL west. Lol
Leave the Mariners out of this dumpster fire!
It’s an Angel tread, leave the trolls of every team out of it.
Another troll hides behind his keyboard.
Meh. An Astros fan who fully acknowledges we may visit mediocrity soon. I hope not, but Jim Crane got a little reckless after the MLB punished us.
When the Astros cheated, everyone who went on their board and sought out Astro fans and called the Astros trash can bangers was a troll. Everyone who sought them out when they were terrible was a troll. And when they slip back into mediocrity, as all teams do, and seek out Astro fans to gloat, they are trolls.
If you seek out fans of other teams, like the trolls here who diss on the Angels, you are a troll. It doesn’t matter if you are right or wrong, you are a troll.
Why anyone enjoys being a troll is beyond me. Trolls have mental issues.
Ok. Thank you for enlightening me.
If you go on other team’s threads to toss salt into wounds or you attempt to bring people down, then you have a screw loose.
Some people only have one or two loose, some have a hardware store filled with loose screws.
And you’re welcome.
Times change.
Dang! Arte is doing it again!
Gotta prolong the suffering.
They don’t seem to the have the resources to be all that aggressive in comparison to Texas or Seattle, who could take their best player. They have no farm system, their core nucleus is never healthy. They are in a tough division and the FA market is thin. No prospects to make trades and their best player won’t return because he wants to win.
Oh boy here we go again..
Just like when they were “super aggressive” and signed Rendon to that fantastic deal? Yeah, we’ve heard this song and dance before.
Nothing they do this winter will turn this team into a serious contender. This team is cursed.
It is not a curse but Arte’s desire to make quick bucks.
That in and of itself is the curse. Shame.
> Nothing they do this winter
> will turn this team
> into a serious contender.
Well…
Sign Yamamoto, Snell, Gray, Nola, Montgomery
Sign Hader, Chapman
Trade the Trout to Philly for ???
DFA Rendon
Sign Bellinger, Chapman, Hernandez, Soler, Martinez, Garver, Hicks, Turner
Oh and sign that Ohtani guy.
Easy.
Somehow they’d still finish 3rd at 80-82.
Same thing they do every year. Stock up on position players but still no pitching. Then expect a different outcome.
That’s not true. They are great at stocking up on high risk pitchers that had one decent year in the last decade. They keep hoping to catch lightning in a bottle; however, just keep getting it filled with air.
One Home Run in 109 AB’s isn’t that “encouraging” for a First Baseman.
The Angels need to rebuild and start over but will never do so as long as Arte is around to hand out awful contracts, with Trout on the roster it makes it difficult as well. This team will do nothing but run in place until Arte decides to actually sell
I mean, the guy went from taking finals in May to finishing the year with an OBP over .400 in September in the Major Leagues. He has great plate discipline. A guy who is 6’4″, 220 LBS will learn how to hit for more power.
He already squares the ball, he doesn’t lift it or hit it hard. He doesn’t generate the bat speed. It’s like saying a player who is 5’7 and 150 is going to get faster.
There is nothing wrong with Schanuel, what’s wrong if fans expectations.
I agree with you Halo11 and frankly I don’t care if he hits for power or not. Our team needs more base runners. It has plenty of “all or nothing” bats in the lineup already. I also wouldn’t mind seeing more productive outs which he can do also.
The team needs pitching, more pitching and then more pitching with a sprinkle of better defense. Something that Ohtani won’t be providing next year. So I agree with your prior comment on the team and Ohtani also.
Hitting for power has nothing to do with size although it sure looks good when Yordan or one of these other giants crushes one. Josh Bell and Yandy Diaz are tall & yoked but can’t hit for power. I do think Schanuel is a nice player.. way rather have him than Ty France
Schanuel is Eric Hosmer at best or a lesser version of Hosmer. The Angels need to package him and a few others to a team for a solid #2 or #3 hitter major league proven.
RSox. But more walks than strike outs and a 400 OBP is.
You can’t build around him, but he can be a nice piece.
Maybe. Not sure how the Mark Grace/Sean Casey types of First Baseman will play in today’s game with so much emphasis on launch angle and exit velocity
he hits enough doubles there will be occasional home runs.
he hits enough doubles
============================
3 doubles in 109 ABs is very small.
He’s too unusual to make any predictions, but in my experience, guys that don’t goo deep occasionally, stop getting walks. He is a lot bigger than Madrigal, but as soon as pitchers figured out that Madrigal couldn’t take them deep, they stopped walking him.
Joe, I think he’s interesting. You want a comp possible comp, Arraez.
The Angels have some interesting pieces. 2024 is the year to see which of these pieces might pan out, and which piece needs an upgrade.
Virtually every player can have a good season to a fall on their face season. This is a fish or cut bait season. I think the Angels have to play it out.
I would sale high on Moniak. He can’t hit lefties at all. Doesn’t take walks, strikes out way too much. But someone might be fooled enough by his numbers, from this past season, to take his as the headline to get pitching
He struck out over 35% of the time with a walk rate below 3%. It’ kind of impressive how effective he was with the bat with such a horrible walk-to-K ratio.
And that is why I would trade him. Someone will think, I can get him to cut down on his K rate. Detroit has what the Angels need. But they will sit and probably platoon him and Adell in left next season
Detroit also already has 4 left handed hitting Outfielders (5 if they tender a contract to Austin Meadows) so Moniak does nothing for them.
The MO of the Tigers front office is guys who “control the strike zone.” Moniak does not fit their philosophy whatsoever. Tigers will not be keen on trading away pitching unless they get young, controllable players in return.
Moniak is interesting, he hits the ball very hard with a very good launch angle. He’s the polar opposite to Schanuel.
The Angels have a bunch of interesting players. See who these players are in 2024, replace some next off season, and build for 2025.
I’d be surprised if you got anything.
Fast Forward to October 2024, Trout plays 90 games, Rendon plays 40 games, Angels finish 70-92. Rinse and Repeat!
Lucky for the Angels the A’s have already signed a new lease in the cellar
Truth. Except they’ll finish between 73-75 wins (their average since 2019). They haven’t had 70 wins or less in a season since 1999.
Obviously he’s going to say that. You can’t first lose Ohtani and then publicly say we’re going to rebuild without an extreme drop in ticket sales. GM speak has become incredibly transparent.
Angels definitely should have sold at the trade deadline, but hindsight is 20/20. If you look at that roster as it is, they really have no choice other than to try and compete to some degree next year. If they’re willing to spend the money then there’s no reason they can’t be competitive-ish.
What they *should* be doing though is giving as many ABs at they can to: Adell, Cabbage, Stefanic, and maybe some Rule 5 guys. Plug Davis Daniel and Jose Suarez into the rotation and see if either can make it as a starter. Add maybe some vet arms on 1-year deals you can either rely on to eat innings if the young guys can’t swing it and/or sell at the TDL if they’re any good.
You run a lineup out there that looks like: O’Hoppe, Schanuel, Rengifo/Stefanic, Neto, Rendon, Ward, Trout, Moniak, and Cabbage/Adell… it may not be pretty a lot of times, but there’s at least some young upside there.
Several of those folks ain’t going to pan out, but at least you spend an in-between year trying to rebuild value with Rendon and some of the arms, Plus, you’d figure out if some of those fringe guys are MLB regulars or AAAA hitters. The division is so much more competitive now that half-measures aren’t going to work. They don’t need to do a full rebuild with this team, but they’d better off spending a year letting some of this dust settle.
Teams make 180s all the time. Look at the Mets, padres, orioles from this season. Worst to first isn’t as rare as some believe, and the angels weren’t that bad last year. They had a pinchers chance at the deadline. If they can hit on some FA pitching, like the Giants a couple years back, no reason they shouldn’t be able to make the playoffs
Yikes
2 top tier SP, 2 top tier RP, and an OF/DH bat is what they need at a minimum. They won’t get that unless Arte goes over the luxury tax, which he won’t.
Yep, without a farm system to promote or trade prospects the other strategy to compete is to spend. Unless a few lottery tickets do really well even spending at the luxury tax line likely won’t do it.
The most glaring need is the pen. A horrible bullpen breaks a team’s back.
Hader and Yamamoto.
Then add more bullpen pieces and see who you have. Some of the young pitchers and players will pan out, some won’t. Replace the ones who don’t and shoot for 2025.
> … bullpen, bullpen, bullpen …
Well, they had Enrique Iglesias’ 3rd cousin’s brother’s nephew from an elderly woman behind a counter in a small town named Dallas, New Hampshire, Raisel. And they broke his heart and the bullpen’s spirit by trading him away. How can someone or the bullpen recover from that kind of heartbreak?
City lights, streets of gold
Look out my window to the world below
Moves so fast and it feels so cold
And I’m all alone (and I’m all alone)
Bad trade. They should have gotten something of value for him.
Minasian has made at least 3 times as many bad moves as good moves. And that’s being very very generous.
Yamamoto and Montgomery, yes. Hader I’m iffy on because of how he said he doesn’t like to pitch back to back games this past season with the Padres. I would go Reyes and Moore again. Soler as the OF/DH? Bellinger will be expensive, but again, if they want to compete they need to spend. Bellinger will be good in the OF/1B/DH, he could give Trout the day off in CF too. Adell/Moniak in LF, and see what the Angels can get in a trade for Ward/Rengifo or Ward/Fletcher if the Angels get someone like Belli.
Whatever the Angels do they start having to make the pen a priority. Waiting until late February or early March to address these issues is a losing game.
Someone hasn’t gotten the memo that this FA class is not very good…and when you’ve blown your shot on the #1 overall player because you already had him and messed it up…well, what can you say?
“Did I ever tell you what the definition of insanity is?”
They also fell to 13th place in average MLB game attendance when they have in the past perennially finished in the top 10. With the Ohtani golden goose gone, they should just tear it down. Handing out more one-year deals to starting pitchers isn’t going to inspire fans to come to the ballpark.
Giving out multi-year contract to anderson was simply horrendous.
Blame Perry Minasian for Tyler Anderson
“Definition of Insanity”….you took the words right out of my fingertips.
-Angels say they want to compete
-Make a big trade(s) or signing(s)
-Big trade(s) or signing(s) backfires
-Finish year with 70-75 wins
This has been the same story since like 2015. Rebuilds are tough, they’re not short, and they’re not a 100% guarentee to succeed, but what they’re doing now isn’t working. I want the Angels to do good. Mike Trout is probably my favorite non-Pirate/former Pirates player. They have had a lot of players who are easy to root for in their recent history. Just do something different.
Lip service while they make a last attempt at Ohtani. Then the fire sale begins.
Sell who?
Obviously Rendon he’s super valuable as a trade chip.
Along with a .397 Babip, it’s not sustainable.
@mlb1225.
Haven’t you learned from your lesson? Wow, Arte.
Houston and their 7 consecutive ALCS apperances, Texas with their new World Series trophy, and even Seattle has Julio and a few nice young pieces, but LAA is going to rule the West. Until Perry get fired mid season
Arte will not fire him mid-season for $$$ reasons.
This is why they keep failing
The Yoda moment… “That… is why you fail.”
was contemplating saying that at first, but didn’t know if people would catch the reference
If the Angels can fix their bullpen, they will be fine
If they can’t, then……
They could sign Ohtani, Nola, Hader, J.D Martinez and trade for Burnes and Adames and they’d still be the 4th best team in that division.
@mostlytoastly that’s what they’ve been doing for the past however many years and still haven’t made the playoffs
Any other team with the 2 best players in baseball would be contenders. Somehow they manage to top out at being mediocre. Probably the worst run franchise in baseball.
So basically playing for another subpar season. With Washington as the manager, they should have gone for the rebuild to build a solid core but when the owner is businessman first, you can’t make the decision for the future. Pure stupidity.
That’s really not true. There are several top of the rotation types. Ohtani, Snell, Kershaw, Montgomery, Sunny Grey.
You also have good options for middle and back of the rotation. Nola, Rodriguez, Stroman.
The Angels need effective pitching in a big way. This might be one of the most ideal off seasons for the Angels in some time.
The problem is the last time Moreno allowed his GM to sign a pitcher to longer than a 3 year deal was a decade ago.
I can see why you are responding this way but unfortunately, I intended to respond to someone else saying this seasons crop of free agents is a bad one. You are absolutely right though. The problem hasn’t been the free agents available.
This is why they are where they are. They have no capacity for facing reality.
Best for all if Moreno just sold team, Trout was traded, and a new owner with realistic expectations would come in and say let’s go with the young guys versus always being mediocre.
The Angels are the professional sports example of sunk cost fallacy. They are screwed for the next decade.
Lol at this troll, Trouts the only one signed for more than 3 years. 10 years huh? Hahaha, all u can do is laugh at these guys.
The best part of Wash’s intro was talking about defense and baserunning. And saying the California Angels. If they simply clean up defense that’s a 10 game turnaround w all the Unearned runs and Wash is dropping signals of that variety. Wash is certainly the feel good story of the off-season so far. Btw I don’t buy Minasian’s 3am story. Invoking icons like Lasorda or Sparky Anderson whom he hasn’t even worked with. Or seriously all this time and he didn’t compile a list earlier?
They are not rebuilding even while they are preparing to rebuild if they lose Ohtani.
Angels just aren’t getting the message. Your team is flawed. Your model is flawed. You had two of the greatest on the same team and still couldn’t get it done. Shohei would be a fool to stay. Trout can’t stay healthy. You had a chance to retool… now “you get NOTHING… YOU LOSE… GOOD DAY, Sir!”
Love the Willie Wonka reference
Deeply confused franchise.
LOL, I think we may have the winner for worst franchise owner in baseball. Just ahead of the Monforts. Making sure the Angels aren’t relevant for the better part of the coming decade is what’s happening here.
Don’t forget to add John Fisher and Jerry Reinsdorf to that illustrious list.
I think if they can get some pitching they’d be fine.
Go with the youth movement considering it’s a fresh start to build something
It’s worked out great for them every other time
They have enough guys with All-Star Potential and 4-6 years of service time remaining to make a run. Ohtani doesn’t tie up the DH spot, and their 6-man rotation was dumb in that a 6-man rotation requires 9 or 10 guys instead of 7 or 8 to get through a season. Stranger things have happened. Kick Trout to the hole that’s been in LF since Justin Upton’s last relevant season until he plays 140 games (again).
The team is going nowhere. What’re they thinking?
Lost the best dh in the game and a top end starter for a year. 2024 with Rendon, trout etc is absolutely a punt year
With Minasian and Moreno running the free agent acquisition show, there is little hope they will get the right guys. If you spend $60 to $70M on the wrong players, then I agree with others that say the Angels are still a 4th place team. However, adding Snell or Yamamoto plus Michael Wacha, Andrew McCutchen and a quality reliever, then this team has the remaining pieces to be successful. Assuming Rendon is healthy and and contibutes the same OBP as last season and then the OBP that Stefanic, Schanuel, Fletcher, Rengifo and McCutchen had last season that is a list of players that will be on base a lot. Trout, Drury, O’hoppe and Ward are plenty capable of driving in runs and providing power. Adding McCutcheon reduces the awful strikeout percentages that Moniak and Addell have had. Last year the Angels were one of the leaders in strikeouts. The Angels need better pitching and they need more contact and obp. They do not need more mashers that strikeout a ton.
Ooooooo, the Angels are gonna be AGGRESSIVE!!! Look out Houston Astros! Take cover, Seattle Mariners! Steps aside Texas Rangers! The Angels are a-coming to getcha and you oughta be shakin’ in your cleats! They might even–now hear me out!–win 75 whole games next year! Party on!!!
We are NOT rebuilding
Yeah, sure, Jan.
If Mike Trout doesn’t request a trade, he is a loser at heart that has never cared about winning.
Giancarlo Stanton. Need I say more?
I’ve never felt that Trout wasn’t giving it his 100% effort. It’s simple minded and myopic to blame an entire team’s failure on one player and especially Mike Trout.
Never blamed Trout for anything. I just think that if he voluntarily sticks around for this, that it’s more than fair to question his heart and desires to actually win. The Angels have capital P Proven that they are incapable of building a sustained winner around him. It’s not Trout’s fault, like at all, but it was his choice to sign an extension and to not request a trade now.
Puhjols, Josh Hamilton, Rendon and Upton; when will Arte ever learn?
Isn’t spending $200M+ million (they spent $230M in 2023) on a doomed team what the masses are shouting for? “Rebuilding” is now called “Tanking”, which is the most despicable thing you can do these days. He’s either telling the truth about their plan or he’s doesn’t want the hideous description of “Tanking”.
Needed a rebuild two years ago.
Several years back, the Angels farm system spit out core players Mike Trout & 1b Mike Trumbo in back to back years and seemed to be on a roll. Then they traded Trumbo & signed 1b Puhjols and it all began to fall apart quickly and they’ve never really recovered.
They’ve had some dud signings post Vlad Sr.
This is how the Angeles do business when the farm system is consonantly ranked at or near the bottom and your GM is on the hot seat (every year).
Los Angeles Angels – Farm system rankings
2024 presean rank 28.
2023 preseason rank: 28
2022 midseason rank: 30
2022 preseason rank: 28
2021 midseason rank: 24
Spending money on analytics & building a system may be the better route.
Agree with what alot of others here are saying when it comes to developing players. They need to sign short contacts on veterans, trade them to build up the farm and take all the rest of their spending money and revamp their development and coaching staff in the lower levels of their system. Being aggressive has rarely worked out for the angels in recent years.. not that I’m sad to see their current state as an Astros fan, but it would be neat to have a more competitive division with the mariners and rangers doing what they’re doing. Maybe have an AL west with 4 teams that play .500-.600 ball cause we all know the A’s are light-years away with their ownership.
So Arte hasn’t had many of his moves turn out well for the Halo’s recently, maybe he puts a good ball club together this year, maybe not. Those of you being critical, have you always made the right choice or decision? Fortunately, your safe behind your keyboard.but typed words have a way of saying alot. I’m not an Angel fan, just a fan.
Moreno’s hesitancy to sign starting pitchers to any long-term deal since Jared Weaver in 2006 is problematic. I’ll give him credit for making a playoffs push at last season’s trade deadline but it was always going to be a longshot. Without a competent starting pitching staff, having a star closer is wasted (see Raisel Iglesias).
Iglesias was then and is still over-rated. Signing FA starting pitchers rarely is a smart move if it goes over 3 years.
The Angels will be in the playoffs in 2024.
The window on the Mariners has closed.
As soon as their season was over they started pointing fingers at each other.
The A’s? Lol
The Rangers are good. But they will have a hangover in 2024
The Astros are like the A’s of the 70’s. They can be competitive they know how to win.
Washington Managing the Angels will make a big difference in the make up on how the Angels will perform.
Go ahead make all your jokes to get a thumbs up response if that makes you happy.
I like Washingtons remarks during the presser yesterday.
The guy is all class and a winner.
The Hot Stove is next. Stay tuned.
Wait, now I’m confused, if they’re not rebuilding and plan to be aggressive, what exactly have they been doing for the last decade???
Too little too late?
1) If the Angels are a nickel over luxury tax, Arte will not spend as much as they need.
2) Remember that Wash will do as much good for the team as Nevin did harm. Seriously, there’s like a 10-game difference there.
3) Shohei money can be well spent on rotation and bullpen.
4) The farm system sucks, as always, but largely because 4 or 5 of those guys are up and already owning their positions.
So…I don’t know…bottom line? Hope for that extra nickel.
Arte, Arte, Arte. Lets face some facts.
#1, you refuse to sign a pitcher for longer than 3 years so the pitching staff sucks.
#2, you refuse to spend money on the baseball development staff or technology so the team’s baseball development sucks.
#3, you refuse to spend money on facilities so the team’s training facilities suck.
#4, you refuse to spend money on analytics, so the team’s analytics sucks.
#5, there are no players on the farm to trade away, so all you can do is sign FA
#6, the only decent position players on the FA market are Ohtani and Bellinger so you will only be able to sign 2nd rate guys.
You CAN’T be aggressive this offseason.
SELL THE TEAM. That is the only solution. SELL.
Now if they could trade Rendon for Stanton and sign Justin Turner for 2 years I’d be happy as a fan. Signing Hader would solidify the pen. If Arte can sign Ohtani even short term then I like their chances for 24.
If they can’t or won’t do these things then Arte should sell the team
I don’t understand this at all. They have no prospects to trade, huge holes in their lineup, and there are only 2 maybe 3 decent position players in free agency. Who are they going to get that is any good? We already know they will not spend on pitching. Moreno has not signed a pitcher to a deal longer than 3 years since the contracts for Wilson and Weaver and those were up in what, 2015?
Its time to start a serious rebuild. Sell everything that isn’t tied down, invest in scouting and the farm, people, tech, and facilities, hire an actual analytics staff, and see if you can compete again in 2028 or so.
I dunno why u don’t understand, it’s pretty simple in what they’ll be doing, wether they officially say it or not. It’s rebuilding on the fly, while trying to compete. It makes sense how there currently constructed. All there young talent is currently going to be in the show.
BTW, they don’t need this thin positional F/A class as u say. They only need to get a closer, and be creative in signing or trading for a couple starters. All this could be had for slightly more than Ohtan
There are 9 holes on the squad. 9. Losing Ohtani creates 2 holes. And that is assuming that Rendon and Trout play everyday or at least most days.
There is no way to be aggressive. We don’t have prospects to trade, we don’t have the FA market to fill the holes, and we don’t have an owner who will spend on pitching.
I truly believe I could run this team at least as bad as Arte
Angels and aggressiveness hasn’t worked.
Right! But it should be entertaining to watch the bad decisions roll in.
It would be wiser for them to rebuild
Mickey Moniak had a breakout of his own.
===========================
No, he didn’t. Y’all have to start looking at BABIP. He had a .802 OPS with a completely unsustainable .397 BABIP, and a world-worst 113/9 K/W. Math caught up to him Aug/Sep with a .596 OPS, despite a still very high .344 BABIP.
Steve Adams is a hack.
“The Angels, then, are set to face a host of familiar problems…”
Don’t leave words like then hanging in between two commas separating the subject and verb.
“Therefore, the Angels are set to face a host of familiar problems…”
Fixed.
Who give a flying leap?
The Angels don’t need to resign Ohtani or any other position player. Perhaps Kyren Paris could be brought up for 2B and some speed. IMO, the Angels need to focus on 1) pen, 2) at least 1 SP. Of course, Obviously, the whole team, especially Mike Trout needs to be healthy. Anthony Redon needs to contribute.