The Los Angeles Angels spent the offseason remaking their roster after another disappointing campaign that ended without a trip to the playoffs.
The team 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 additions of Brandon Drury, Brett Phillips, Hunter Renfroe and Gio Urshela.
As it currently stands, the Angels are projected to have a platoon at first base and shortstop this season. While there are starters penciled in at the other positions, manager Phil Nevin said that could change and the best players will get the most playing time, per Jeff Fletcher of the Southern California News Group:
“I’m going to say this for every position, the best guys are going to play,” Nevin said. “We’re not here for charity time or anything like that. We’re in this to win, and our best guys are going to play. … Anyone can emerge and play a little bit more than the other and I couldn’t tell you who that is. I mean that certainly is a little bit of a competition this spring, sure.”
One position where the Angels have a lot of depth is shortstop, as David Fletcher, Luis Rengifo, Andrew Velazquez and Gio Urshela are all capable of playing there, so Nevin doesn’t anticipate the position having one set starter:
“Is it one set guy? I don’t necessarily think shortstop because of the position has to be one set guy,” Nevin said. “We platoon in other spots around the field. To me, there’s no reason why as long as you’re getting production out of the spot, you can’t have different guys play there if it comes to it.”
As the Angels look to return to the postseason for the first time since 2014, it is clear they prioritized adding depth to the organization. They are hoping that translates to better matchups during the 2023 season, in addition to giving them insurance in the event of an injury.
Phil Nevin: Angels have clean bill of health heading into Spring Training
Nevin spoke of being happy with the Angels’ offseason roster additions and said the team was completely healthy heading into Spring Training.
José Quijada, Anthony Rendon, Mike Trout, Taylor Ward and Jared Walsh were among the players who missed a significant amount of time due to injury last season.
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