Angels pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report to spring training on Feb. 13. As we count down the days until camp begins, we are going through the various position groups to give a breakdown of where the roster stands. Today, the starting rotation. Previously: outfielders, infielders, catchers.
2023 RECAP
After an encouraging season in which the starters ranked sixth in the majors in ERA, they fell to 19th with a 4.47 ERA in 2023. Shohei Ohtani slipped to a 3.14 ERA and he made only 23 starts before going down with a torn UCL. Left-handers Patrick Sandoval (4.11 ERA), Reid Detmers (4.48) and Tyler Anderson (5.43), who had been an All-Star with the Dodgers in 2022, all were worse. The Angels made a deal at the deadline to add right-hander Lucas Giolito to the mix, and he posted a 6.89 ERA in six starts before he was waived in a cost-cutting move. Perhaps the most encouraging development was right-hander Griffin Canning pitching to a 4.32 ERA in 22 starts after missing a year and a half with a back injury. Right-hander Chase Silseth also showed promise in the summer, just before missing a month with a concussion.
HOW IT LOOKS RIGHT NOW
Ohtani is gone, but otherwise it looks exactly the same. Sandoval, Detmers, Canning and Anderson would seem to be locks for the rotation, with Silseth holding the inside track for the No. 5 spot. Right-hander Zach Plesac, who was signed as a free agent, will compete for a spot in the rotation, although he could pitch out of the bullpen too. The optimistic point of view is that Sandoval, Detmers and Anderson were all above-average major-league starters as recently as 2022, and Canning and Plesac were in 2020. The Angels are hoping that they might get more out of those pitchers with a new pitching infrastructure, starting with new pitching coach Barry Enright and new bullpen coach Steve Karsay. The Angels have also changed the personnel doing much of the analytical game-planning.
THE NEXT LAYER
Left-hander Kenny Rosenberg had a 3.82 ERA in 33 innings last season, including three starts. Right-hander Sam Bachman begins spring training on the rotation depth chart, but the Angels might still opt to use him in relief too. Right-hander Davis Daniel had a 2.19 ERA in 12⅓ innings in the majors last season, and then he had a 1.89 ERA in the Arizona Fall League. Left-hander José Suarez, who had been a capable starter in 2021 and 2022 before an injury-marred poor season in 2023, also could still get another chance to start, although the bullpen seems more likely for him. Suarez is still just 26.
MOVE THEY COULD MAKE
There are a surprising number of quality starting pitching options still available, led by left-hander Blake Snell and right-hander Jordan Montgomery. Either of those pitchers would cost more than $20 million per year. If the Angels want to go after a lesser pitcher, they could make a run at someone like right-hander Mike Clevinger or right-hander Michael Lorenzen.
