After a disappointing 2022 season, the Los Angeles Angels made a strong effort to improve their roster in hopes of being more competitive and returning to the postseason this year.
The Angels most notably bolstered their pitching staff with the signings of All-Star starter Tyler Anderson, relievers Carlos Estévez and Matt Moore, and upgraded their lineup and defense with the addition of Brandon Drury, Brett Phillips, Hunter Renfroe and Gio Urshela.
The aforementioned names join a talented group that already includes the likes of Shohei Ohtani, Anthony Rendon and Mike Trout, as well as up-and-comers Reid Detmers, Patrick Sandoval and Taylor Ward, among others.
Angels manager Phil Nevin is optimistic his new-look roster will find success in 2023, via Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com:
“Quite frankly, at the end of last season we weren’t sure if we’d be able to improve the roster at all,” Nevin said. “What we’ve been able to do is really impressive. We’re in a good spot. And now it’s our turn.”
Nevin noted that the Angels played .500 ball over the final two months of the 2022 season despite not having much firepower in the lineup and believes the additions the team made will help the offense be more consistent:
“If you look at the last two months of last year, we played .500 ball and we played pretty well, but our starting pitching and relief pitching carried us, if you want to know the truth,” Nevin said. “We needed to score more runs. And we brought in some dudes who can really bang. It’s exciting to think about that.”
To echo Nevin’s point, it is impressive what the Angels have been able to do this offseason, especially when considering the uncertainty surrounding them when owner Arte Moreno explored selling the team.
Nevertheless, the Angels continued to spend and are projected to have the highest payroll in franchise history this season at roughly $206 million, up from $180 million last year.
Angels among teams that attended Zack Britton bullpen session
Earlier this offseason, it was reported that the Angels would jump at the opportunity to sign Zack Britton if his asking price drops. On Wednesday, L.A. reportedly was one of six teams that watched him throw a bullpen session.
However, in the wake of the Angels’ reported signing of Moore, it is unclear if they will still have interest in adding Britton.
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