The Los Angeles Angels have utilized a six-man starting rotation in each of the last two seasons to give two-way star Shohei Ohtani extra rest in between outings.
The strategy proved beneficial as Ohtani was able to serve as the Angels designated hitter on most nights while continuing to pitch at a high level every five days.
Ohtani won’t be a factor on the mound next season after undergoing elbow surgery, and his future with the Angels is up in the air as he gets set to reach free agency in the coming days.
According to Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com, the Angels are planning to return to a five-man starting rotation in 2024 regardless if Ohtani re-signs or not:
It means the club is likely to go to a five-man rotation instead of the modified six-man rotation it employed with him in the mix. The Angels have some internal candidates like Patrick Sandoval, Reid Detmers, Chase Silseth, Griffin Canning and Tyler Anderson, but they will need to add one or two more starters to that mix.
As it currently stands, the Angels’ starting rotation options for 2024 include Tyler Anderson, Griffin Canning, Reid Detmers, Patrick Sandoval and Chase Silseth, among others.
However, after a disappointing 2023 season that ended without a playoff appearance, the team will likely look to add at least one or two more starters via free agency or trade.
Among the top free-agent starting pitchers are Lucas Giolito, Sonny Gray, Clayton Kershaw, Jordan Montgomery, Aaron Nola, Blake Snell and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
Dom Chiti rejoins Angels organization
The Angels announced that Dom Chiti has returned to the organization as a Minor League pitching coordinator. He originally joined the team in 2020 as a special assistant to general manager Perry Minasian before taking over as the interim bullpen coach the following year.
Chiti spent this past year with the New York Mets as their full-time bullpen coach.
