The Angels make a splash every offseason and then battle to reach or stay above .500 by April. There is no question the Angels have talent; however, when it comes to depth and pitching, it is the same old narrative.
After the 2022 season, the Angels are looking to forget the disastrous season and hopefully make the postseason after an eight-year drought. There is only one way to move up for the Angels this season: to go up.
To recap what the Angels went through last season, they fired Joe Maddon in early June, set a club record losing streak with 14 losses, Trout missed 43 games due to a back injury, and Rendon missed 115 games due to a wrist injury. Raisel Iglesias was traded during the trade deadline after being signed in the offseason for four years and $58 million.
When the Angels general manager was asked about the two stars, Ohtani and Trout, and how Perry Minasian will approach next season, he stated, “That’s something we’ve talked about all offseason. Really concentrating on the middle of our roster, and thickening the middle of our roster. Obviously you try and improve the floor with certain things also, we’ve been very active in minor league free agency. But with that being said, I know everybody loves the splash, right? We love sitting up here and talking about the big deal and this All-Star player. But baseball’s different. You need a lot of players. You have to withstand injuries.”
For once, the Angels went a different route and beefed up their roster, especially in the middle of the roster. The Angels signed Brandon Dury for two years and $17 million and traded for Gio Urshela and Hunter Renfroe.
These moves are critical because the Angels have always lacked depth due to the injury bug. The trade for Renfroe also does not push the narrative of rushing Jo Adell into the major league lineup, as he has struggled early on in his career.
The most significant pickup by the Angels was their starting pitching. After Tyler, Anderson declined the qualifying offer from the Dodgers, and the Angels swooped in and inked Anderson for three years and $39 million.
The Halos also inked a relief pitcher from the Rockies. Carlos Estevez signed a two-year deal for $13.5 million, where he posted a 3.47 ERA in 57 innings.
With all these moves, the Angels broke a franchise record regarding spending. Surprisingly, for the number of splashes the franchise has had, the Halos have never come close to the luxury tax. It is estimated that the 2023 payroll will be $198 million, which is an $18 million increase.
As for right now, Minasian still looks to add more to the club and has stated he is not done with off-season transactions.
It’s pretty exciting to see that the Angels have shifted their strategy regarding the off-season. However, at the end of the season, will the Angels finally figure it out and make the postseason, or will they find themselves in the same old boat?
