The Los Angeles Angels have operated with intent this offseason, dishing out money to free agents and trading for veteran bats to solidify an offense headed by Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani.
General manager Perry Minasian believes there’s still more to do in order to feel content heading into the regular season.
As it stands, the Angels’ projected payroll according to Spotrac, including arbitration estimates, sits at $219.58 million, good for ninth in Major League Baseball.
Former L.A. Dodgers starting pitcher Tyler Anderson was brought in on a multi-year deal after a breakout season with the Freeway Series rivals, and he should play a large role in an Angels rotation that was in need of seasoned leadership.
The rotation was a strong point for the club last season, but just like Minasian did to shore up the offense, pitching is still on the docket, according to Jeff Fletcher of the O.C. Register:
“Pitching is definitely something we’ll continue to look at and hopefully improve,” Minasian said.
Minasian already added Brandon Drury, Hunter Renfroe, and Gio Urshela to provide the club with versatility, pop, and more options for manager Phil Nevin to mix & match. But the infield was decimated by injuries last year, which is why Drury and Urshela were brought in.
With those players now in place, they are unlikely to make any more additions to the offense:
The offensive roster seems to be set with the addition of Drury, who is the second veteran utility player the Angels have added this winter.
The Angels had been linked to both Nathan Eovaldi, who signed with the Texas Rangers, and to right-hander, Corey Kluber, who went on to sign with the Boston Red Sox.
Minasian still has a few options available on the free agent market, but without the top-end arms, it’ll come down to finding upside arms at a solid value.
Starting pitchers still on the free agent market the Angels could target
Michael Wacha, 31, started his career with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2013, was very effective early on, and after difficult seasons in New York with the Mets and the Tampa Bay Rays, he posted a 3.32 ERA with the Boston Red Sox in 2022.
Johnny Cueto will turn 37 when the regular season kicks off and he enjoyed a very solid season last year, posting a 3.35 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, and had a near 3-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Players such as Chad Kuhl, Zack Greinke, Mike Minor, Chris Archer, Dylan Bundy, Zach Davies and Joe Ross are also among the remaining starting pitchers available.
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