Los Angeles Angels need to address the starting rotation for a playoff run

The Los Angeles Angels are back at .500 for the first time since April and have shown a lot of promise with a healthy offensive lineup.

The Los Angeles Angels have looked pretty solid as of late as the team has won seven of its last 10 games and it back at .500 for the first time since April. The Halos have floated around in the congested AL Wild Card picture and currently sit 2.5 games back of the second wild-card spot.

This is promising as well as the Angels had six games against playoff-caliber teams in the Los Angeles Dodgers and Tampa Bay Rays and went 4-2 across the two games, which included a sweep of the Dodgers.

Even better, Justin Upton returned to the lineup against the Tampa Bay Rays and has enjoyed a nice return to the offense, which recently had another upgrade in Shohei Ohtani, who has been great thus far this year.

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Suddenly, things are looking up for the Angels. The lineup is not 100 percent healthy (but when does any team have a 100 percent healthy lineup?) as Andrelton Simmons is still out as well.

Once Simmons returns, the Angels will be at full strength (assuming nothing else happens) which gives every fan a reason to be excited. Having a healthy lineup and potentially a record above .500 at the break is more than most fans probably expected.

The Angels certainly have the offense to hover around .500 and make a late push late in the year to sneak into a wild-card spot. However, if the team truly wants to make it anywhere this year, the front office has to address the starting pitching.

Because the Angels starting pitching has been absolutely dreadful this year and is the thing that is holding the team back from being a for-sure wild card team.

New additions Matt Harvey and Trevor Cahill have been absolutely terrible. Both are currently on the IL and both have an ERA over seven. Yes, seven, that is not a typo.

Tyler Skaggs and Andrew Heaney have not been spectacular, either. Both are capable of making great starts but Skaggs has a 4.61 ERA in 13 starts and Heaney a 4.57 ERA in only four starts.

Youngster Griffin Canning has the stuff to be successful and has had some solid outings but still has a 3.93 ERA on the year. That is not bad per say, but having your best pitcher be a rookie with an ERA around four is not the answer.

Eventually, the grind of a Major League season will get to Canning and there is a very realistic chance, as we see this all the time, that he starts to flame out come September, when a minor league season typically ends.

The Angels have also deployed the “starter” recently due to the players on the IL and it has been somewhat effective for the team. However, it still has not been great and won’t stand up against the best teams in the American League.

When the going gets tough, especially in the American League were offensive output is not as difficult, you need solid starting pitching to help propel the team. The Los Angeles Angels simply don’t have that.

There will be a day in which the offense slumps. It happens to the best teams in the league and the best way to counter that is by starting pitching.

And I get that the Los Angeles Angels are looking towards the future and do not want to trade away any legitimate prospects for a starting pitching rental. However, playoff experience is valuable and if the Angels can make the playoffs and win the Wild Card Game then it will be huge experience for this club.

Just being in a five-game postseason series is something to build on for the future. That does not mean sell the farm, but don’t be afraid to make a move that the team can afford simply because it is somewhat of a risk.

Next. Ohtani is proving us wrong. dark

Will the Los Angeles Angels make a move? Probably not. The team seemingly has a very specific plan and budget and could have easily afforded Dallas Keuchel. However, if the front office is serious about a playoff push then they definitely should.

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