Angels are going to be the most improved team of 2018
By Jason Reed
Whoa. The Los Angeles Angels have been busy this offseason. Now, Mike Trout finally has a group of guys around him that he can be proud about.
The Los Angeles Angels were stuck. The only thing keeping the franchise afloat was the best player in baseball, Mike Trout. Without Trout, the team likely would have entered rebuilding mode as the farm system is the worst in baseball. Yet still, Trout kept the promise of winning alive and the Angels repeatedly stumbled to mediocrity.
The Angels picked up some nice pieces along the way still. Andrelton Simmons was a big surprise who managed to match his league-best fielding with a solid bat. Young pitchers such as Tyler Skaggs and Andrew Heaney showed immense promise. Catcher Martin Maldanado won a Gold Glove.
Even after trading for Justin Upton the Angels were unable to make the playoffs and give Trout his first postseason victory. The Angels finished 2017 with an 80-82 record, five games out of the second Wild Card spot.
The Angels had to improve, they had to do so quickly. Luckily for Angel fans, the team has been doing just that this offseason.
It all started with the man they traded for last season, Justin Upton.
The Angels extended Justin Upton for five years worth $106 million. Initially, this looked like a massive mistake. Upton is in the tail end of his prime and got overvalued by the Angels. Sure, it may hurt them in four years, but it did not stop them from continuing to improve now.
Next was perhaps the biggest move of them all — signing Japanese phenom Shohei Ohtani. Ohtani was the missing arm in the Angels starting rotation and added that one power hitting bat the team needed. Los Angeles managed to knock out two birds with one stone. Sure, Ohtani does have an injured ligament in his pitching elbow, but he is still slated to make an impact in 2018.
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It did not stop there. Veteran second baseman Ian Kinsler was traded from the Detroit Tigers to the Angels. Although Kinsler had a pretty big fall off in 2017, he is still another run-producing option in the middle of the order that filled a massive hole at second base.
Finally, the Angels brought in shortstop Zack Cozart off of a career season. Cozart will likely play third base for the Angels and bat at the leadoff spot. Although it is unclear if Cozart can maintain the same production, it is an upgrade nonetheless.
With a young, healthy pitching staff the Angels can be scary next season. The biggest Achilles’ Heel of the organization was a lack of depth. One or two key pieces get hurt and the team crumbles. Los Angeles added a lot more flexibility in that department.
Sure, the bullpen is still up in the air and could hurt the team, but the Halos at least now have the offense to keep them in games. The sky is the limit for this team. With the pitching staff coming into full form, the Angels could flirt with 100 wins.
Next: Who should start in LF for the Dodgers?
Or it could come crashing down and the Angels will be stuck with more terrible contracts. This is the final risk the Angels are taking. If it works, they can convince Mike Trout to be a career Angel. If it doesn’t, they can kiss success goodbye for the next decade.
For now, though, it looks like the Halos are going to be the most improved team of 2018.