The Angels Seem To Be Living In Hell. Will They Escape This Year?

Los Angeles Angels Preview

For a team that has had generational talent, they have been historically terrible. It seems like the Los Angeles Angels are involved in a lot of conversations for big-name guys. It seems like they have a roster that should make it to the postseason consistently. It seems like they are actually trying to win every year. They certainly have a desired destination. But, things are not always as they seem, and the Angels just cannot get it right. Maybe this year? 

Last season recap: 

Things started somewhat promising for the Angels last year. They were 9-5 after the first two weeks of the season. It went fairly downhill from there. They did climb back to 25-25 with a eight game winning streak in the middle of May, but they never made it to over the hump. Over the next 30 games, they played .500 baseball again. They ran their record to 42-42, which is almost exactly half of a season. That was the last time they reached the .500 mark for the season. From there, they fizzled out and ended the year 72-90. If they can take anything positive away from the year, it was that Mike Trout played 130 games, the most he has played since 2019. 

Offseason moves:

The team looked, once again, to be competitive. They traded for Grayson Rodriguez, who could have some upside in the rotation. They also took a flyer on Alek Manoah, who had a wonderful year a couple of years back, but has been garbage since. Josh Lowe in the outfield should give some depth there, but none of these moves are going to make the Angels instant contenders. 

May 31, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Jose Soriano (59) pitches to the Seattle Mariners during the third inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports

Roster:

I am taking this line from an ESPN article about the Angels, but I feel like it is important to share. The Angels have 10 non-arbitration guys under contract, and all of them are 31 or older. There isn’t much young talent on the team. There isn’t much young, cheap talent either. Their rotation is average at best. If everyone pitches close to a career year, they could be a .500 team, and maybe fight for a Wild Card. How much left does Trout have in the tank? He’s no longer elite. Hell, he might not even be above average at this point. Jorge Soler is a good DH, and there are some guys who have the potential to be reliable. However, this roster isn’t going to make the postseason, or even scare people, unless they get a foster kid told by his deadbeat father that the Angels need to win the pennant in order for them to be a family again.

Betting outlook:

There isn’t much optimism from this evaluator, but 70.5 wins is a step back from last year, and I do think they are about as good as last year. I think there is some upside in the rotation. The Angels aren’t overly active in the trade market at the deadline, so I’d be a bit surprised if they traded key guys away. Plus, I think officially losing Anthony Rendon is addition by subtraction. I lean toward the over on these guys, but I’m not getting involved.

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