The Los Angeles Angels are far away from where they hoped they would be record-wise entering the 2024 season. General manager Perry Minasian reacted to Shohei Ohtani’s departure by trying to field a competitive roster around Mike Trout, but injuries to Trout and Anthony Rendon derailed that plan.
Instead, the Angels are functioning as somewhat of a rebuilding team with just around $75 million sitting on the injured list with two players. They are built, offensively, around the young talents of Logan O’Hoppe, Zach Neto, Nolan Schanuel and Jo Adell, among others. On the mound, they have some intriguing young pieces like Jose Soriano and — if he returns strong from Triple-A — Reid Detmers.
Intrigue is on the Angels side with some of those players, but the results have been less than exciting in 2024 itself. The Halos are 26-42 entering play on Friday and are likely to end the season with one of the worst records in the Majors.
Minasian is also unhappy with the team’s record, but believes it might be worth it to see the progression of those potential core pieces, according to Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com:
“Obviously, we’re not happy with the record,” Minasian said. “But for me at least, it’s the ability to let the young guys play. We have to develop players to go where we want to go. There are some young players here we’re excited about. I have to remind myself it’s the first full year in the big leagues for a lot of these guys.”
Minasian also knows that young players do not have linear development and that the struggles are a part of what could turn them into legitimate star players in the future.
“There’s been some improvement,” Minasian said. “You’re going to go through ups and downs. We have a lot of youth on the field. Learning how to play every day is really tough. It’s a difficult thing but I think it’s a great experience for these guys.”
The Angels have to figure out exactly who they’d like to build around so that, if needed, they can make some deals at the trade deadline to bolster their league-worst farm system while keeping intact a promising young core. Minasian has not shown any indication how he’ll approach the deadline, but the Angels are likely to be sellers for the first time in a long time.
Perry Minasian not giving a timeframe on Trout
Minasian also spoke about the status of Trout, who has been out for over six weeks since undergoing a surgery to repair a torn meniscus. The Angels do not yet have an idea of when he’ll be back, and Minasian confirmed the lack of a timeframe in his recent commentary.
