The Los Angeles Angels have made a few moves this offseason that are intriguing. They’ve added to the starting rotation and bullpen via free agency with a few trades to bolster their lineup.
Manager Phil Nevin expressed his optimism with how the winter has gone for his club considering their difficult 2022.
A healthier roster coming into next year is what the Angels should be focused on as much as anything. The ability to withstand inevitable injuries is what keeps good teams good and allows those teams to continue performing at a high level for when the unexpected happens.
That’s what general manager Perry Minasian has done with his approach to free agency, add on the margins. Signing veteran Tyler Anderson to the rotation and Carlos Estévez in the bullpen were cost-controlled moves with immense upside, and Nevin is excited for the upcoming season as a result of his GM’s work.
“I think we’re always trying to get better in whatever areas we feel we need,” Nevin said. “If there’s something that comes up that makes us stronger that is within what we’re able to do.
“Perry is relentless in what he does. I’ve gotten texts at 3:00 in the morning, I’ve gotten calls at 5:00, 6:00 in the morning. You guys all know how he works, how he goes about his business. It’s been pretty impressive to watch.
“The times we’ve been together one-on-one doing these things in a group, in the group setting here, has really been cool to be a part of. Always thinking how we get better, what we can do. The moves you can make, players move around. I love what we’ve done.
“I think I just talked about what we did the last two months with what we had and then to add on top of that the guys that are going to be coming back from injury. Also the things that we’ve added from outside. It’s exciting to think about where we’re going.”
The Angels will continue to monitor the free-agent market and any moves through the trade route, but Minasian feels good enough about his current roster that big deals aren’t expected to come.
Angels GM Perry Minasian not viewing luxury tax threshold as hard cap
The Angels have flown under the radar with a generally high payroll, but their on-field production hasn’t matched the contracts they’ve handed out in the past, which causes concern that it may happen again.
Minasian also traded for Hunter Renfroe and Gio Urshela, both of whom are in their final years of arbitration and will be unrestricted free agents following the 2023 season.
The Angels aren’t figured to take their foot off of the free-agency spending gas pedal as they continue trying to improve.
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