2023 RECAP

The Angels have spent significant money on their bullpen in recent years – giving out multiyear deals to free agents Carlos Estévez, Ryan Tepera and Aaron Loup – and re-signing Raisel Iglesias to a four-year deal. It hasn’t worked very well and 2023 was another disappointing year for the bullpen, which ranked 26th in the majors with a 4.88 ERA. Tepera was released and Loup struggled for most of a second straight season. Estévez was very good for two-thirds of his first season as a closer, making the All-Star team, but he finished with two bad months. Matt Moore, who signed a one-year deal at the start of camp last year, was consistently good, although he missed two months with an injury and was then waived in a cost-cutting move for the final month. Perhaps the best signs for the bullpen in 2023 were the performances of José Soriano and Ben Joyce. The two rookies showed elite stuff in limited innings, although there is clearly room for improvement going forward.

HOW IT LOOKS RIGHT NOW

No part of the team has undergone more of a facelift than the bullpen. Estévez returns, but he’ll have some competition to hold down the closer job all year. The Angels signed right-hander Robert Stephenson to a three-year, $33 million deal after he dominated in the second half last season with the Tampa Bay Rays. Stephenson had a 2.35 ERA with 60 strikeouts in 38⅓ innings with the Tampa Bay Rays. The Angels brought back Moore on a $9 million deal. The Angels also signed free right-hander Luis Garcia, a flame-throwing veteran who had a 3.62 ERA over his last three seasons. Estévez, Garcia, Soriano and Joyce all throw fastballs in the upper 90s. The Angels also signed sidearming right-hander Adam Cimber, who has a 3.15 ERA over the last three years. His 2023 season was spoiled by three outings right before he went on the injured list for the final three months. Right-hander Jose Cisnero, who signed a one-year deal over the weekend, has a career 3.99 ERA, even though he had a 5.31 mark last season. The Angels also added left-hander Adam Kolarek, who has held lefties to a .184 batting average in parts of seven major league seasons. Right-hander Zach Plesac, who has mostly been a starter in his career, also could find himself in the bullpen.

THE NEXT LAYER

All the newcomers have pushed several pitchers who had worked significant innings down the list, perhaps to Triple-A. Right-handers Andrew Wantz and Jimmy Herget can be optioned this season, so don’t be surprised if they make repeated trips between the Angels and Salt Lake. If right-hander Sam Bachman doesn’t fit as a starter, in Triple-A or the majors, the Angels could use him in the major league bullpen. Right-hander Austin Warren and left-hander José Quijada both underwent Tommy John surgery last year and could be ready later in the season.

MOVE THEY COULD MAKE

The Angels really don’t have much room to add anyone else at this point, unless someone is willing to move a pitcher with options. Meanwhile, the Angels still have left-hander Jose Suarez, who is out of options and without much of a role in the rotation or bullpen. Although Suarez pitched poorly last season, he was hurt for most of the year. He was good in 2021 and 2022, and he’s still only 26, so it’s likely that another team would be willing to give him a shot. The Angels could see if they can trade Suarez for someone who gives them more depth elsewhere.

A right-hander who turns 35 on April 11, Cisnero was 3-4 with two saves and a 5.31 ERA in 63 games for Detroit last season, striking out 70 and walking 25 in 59⅓ innings. He allowed a career-high 10 home runs, up from six in 2022.

Cisnero averaged 94.4 mph with his fastball, up from 93.4 mph in 2022 but down from 96.4 mph in 2019.

He is 13-17 with a 3.99 ERA in seven seasons with the Houston Astros (2013-14) and the Tigers (2019-23), striking out 275 and walking 130 in 259⅓ innings.

Cisnero had Tommy John surgery on May 28, 2014, then he pitched for Mexico’s Sultanes de Monterrey and the independent New Jersey Jackals in 2016.

A native of Bajos de Haina, Dominican Republic, Cisnero was originally signed by Houston as an international free agent in 2007.

Infielder Livan Soto was designated for assignment to open a roster spot. Soto made his major league debut in September 2022 and hit .400 (22 for 55) with one home run and nine RBIs in 18 games. He batted .222 (2 for 9) in four games with the Angels last May and June while hitting .237 with nine homers and 47 RBIs in 110 games at Triple-A Salt Lake and Double-A Rocket City.

A right-hander who turns 35 on April 11, Cisnero was 3-4 with two saves and a 5.31 ERA in 63 games for Detroit last season, striking out 70 and walking 25 in 59⅓ innings. He allowed a career-high 10 home runs, up from six in 2022.

Cisnero averaged 94.4 mph with his fastball, up from 93.4 mph in 2022 but down from 96.4 mph in 2019.

He is 13-17 with a 3.99 ERA in seven seasons with the Houston Astros (2013-14) and the Tigers (2019-23), striking out 275 and walking 130 in 259⅓ innings.

Cisnero had Tommy John surgery on May 28, 2014, then he pitched for Mexico’s Sultanes de Monterrey and the independent New Jersey Jackals in 2016.

A native of Bajos de Haina, Dominican Republic, Cisnero was originally signed by Houston as an international free agent in 2007.

Infielder Livan Soto was designated for assignment to open a roster spot. Soto made his major league debut in September 2022 and hit .400 (22 for 55) with one home run and nine RBIs in 18 games. He batted .222 (2 for 9) in four games with the Angels last May and June while hitting .237 with nine homers and 47 RBIs in 110 games at Triple-A Salt Lake and Double-A Rocket City.

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.

We have two of most every team in every major team sport. We have two major conference college programs operating cheek-to-jowl with major league franchises. We get cameo appearances from almost all of the itinerant sports circuits, starting with this Sunday’s NASCAR Clash in the Coliseum (although it would be nice if the tennis tours would again land in the nation’s second-largest market in the summertime, rather than merely touching down in Indian Wells in March).

Also, dare I point out, we will have our third Olympic Games four years from now. Before that, if FIFA and Stan Kroenke could mend fences, SoFi Stadium would be hosting World Cup matches in two years (and maybe some of the expanded Club World Cup next summer).

And I don’t even have to mention the cornucopia of prime-time athletes that this region continues to pump out annually. You name the sport and we’re represented.

So let’s go big. SoCal is not only the preeminent sports community in North America, but I’ll make the case that it’s unmatched on this planet. The phrase “Sports Capital of the World” sounds way too boosterish, but doesn’t it fit?

What other city on earth has the multitude of sports attractions – i.e., competition for attention – that we do? For example, in most countries, the sport we know as soccer is considered King Football. Here, it has to fight for market share and for attention with four other major professional sports. And there are good reasons Major League Soccer avoids the fall-winter-spring scheduling cycle observed by the rest of the world, the most important being the NFL behemoth, i.e. our very own King Football.

Meanwhile, what other metropolitan area on this continent can match the sports chops of this sprawling community made up of L.A., Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura counties?

New York? Sorry, not much of a college football profile. Boston? Only one of everything (and they haven’t had a duck boat parade in a couple of forevers). Chicago: Solo NBA and NHL teams (plus, ahem, the Bears). The Bay Area? Close, but they have only one soccer team, they’ve lost the Raiders and are about to lose the A’s, regrettably.

Oh, and here’s the kicker and a spoiler alert: The leader (again) in our annual rankings of SoCal’s teams might as well be considered Japan’s team, too.

As has been the case since we began these lists in 2005 at The Press-Enterprise, the ranking is determined by multiple factors – a mixture of winning, historic importance in the market, interest level and, not insignificantly, the passion of a team’s followers.

The beauty is that, with rare and obvious exceptions, the teams in this market understand what it takes to be competitive not only in their own leagues but in the fight for fans’ attention. In other words, those in charge understand that if you’re a big market team, you’d better act like one.

(And you might notice that there are a couple of additions to the list this year. If you capture the fancy of the greater SoCal public, you deserve to be here.)

So, as SoCal’s newest coach likes to say, who has it better than us?

The list, with the 2023 ranking in parentheses:

1. Dodgers (1): Seen in a local store: A blue T-shirt with “OHTANI” in the style of the “HOLLYWOOD” sign. That says it all, doesn’t it? No team, anywhere, acts the part of a big market franchise so well. That fan bases elsewhere are grumbling “not fair?” All the better.

2. Lakers (2): Yes, they’re struggling to get a foothold this season. That only reminds us of the expectations of their followers, for whom Laker Exceptionalism isn’t just a slogan but a way of life. (And, at times like this, maybe a curse.)

3. Rams (8): What was that again about paying the price in order to win a Super Bowl? As long as they can keep Matthew Stafford healthy, their immediate future seems bright.

4. Clippers (7): It’s hard to have championship expectations when, you know, stuff repeatedly happens. But why shouldn’t this well-run, well-coached, talented team make a deep playoff run … and, perhaps, even have a chance to hang a banner in its new arena? (So, if you’re a Lakers fan and you’re confronted with a Clippers-Celtics final, who do you root for?)

5. Angel City (12): ACFC, along with the San Diego Wave, showed the people who run the National Women’s Soccer League that avoiding Southern California all those years was a grave mistake. The L.A. team’s average home attendance in its two seasons: 19,105 in 2022, 19,756 in 2023. Any surprise that the league is about to expand to the Bay Area in 2024?

6. (tie) UCLA women’s basketball and USC women’s basketball (not ranked in 2023): It’s a perfect storm, with the surge in interest in women’s sports and particularly women’s college basketball dovetailing with two championship-caliber teams. The line wrapped around Pauley Pavilion waiting to get in before the teams’ first meeting on Dec. 30 was an eloquent statement all by itself.

8. USC football (3): The high hopes built in 2022 came crashing down in 2023, as a team of mercenaries played like it down the stretch. But the Trojan fan base has regained its passion and expectations and, yes, a little bit of swagger after a dreary decade.

9. Chargers (6): Could this fan base ever use some swagger? They might get their wish, if Jim Harbaugh does what the multitudes expect.

10. LAFC (4): They might not have been able to defend their MLS Cup title, but this is a well-run team with a passionate fan base that is going to be a factor for a while.

11. UCLA men’s basketball (5): The young Bruins might indeed have a run in them down the stretch, and it’s pretty well established that Mick Cronin won’t let this program wither. But it’s been almost three decades since the last banner, and this is another fan base that has trouble settling.

12. Kings (10): A year ago – heck, six weeks ago – they seemed to be building toward a shot at another Stanley Cup, a decade after their last one. But the recent whopper of a slump has called into question not only players’ effort and coaching but the way General Manager Rob Blake built this roster. The most devoted fans in this market deserve better.

13. Angels (9): Arte Moreno and the rest of his organization should feel fortunate that so many fans still care about this team. There’s little reason to expect improvement unless new Manager Ron Washington is indeed a miracle worker.

14. USC men’s basketball (11): A promising season has turned sour, and is there any real evidence that the USC faithful notice or care? They average 6,228 at home, and their best home crowds were a 10,300 sellout against UCLA and 9,806 against Long Beach State – and how many of those were there early to await JuJu Watkins and the USC women in the nightcap?

15. UCLA football (14): Yes, they were 8-5, and yes, they beat Boise State in the Gronk Bowl at SoFi Stadium, but the Chip Kelly era remains distinguished by a lack of fan passion.

16. Galaxy (13): They were once MLS’ flagship franchise. Now they’re an afterthought in their own town and starting over.

17. Ducks (16): Rebuilds are difficult, especially two or three seasons in. The Ducks are now six seasons removed from their last playoff berth and finally seem to be moving forward, slowly.

18. Sparks (15): And here, a rebuild is just beginning. This is another former flagship franchise trying to find its way again, and at least they’ll have a No.2 draft pick to work with.

jalexander@scng.com

The Angels announced the deal with the former Long Beach Wilson High standout on Monday.

Hicks’ salary is the major league minimum and will be offset against the $9.5 million he was guaranteed by the New York Yankees, who released him from a $70 million, seven-year contract that also assured a $9.5 million salary in 2025 plus a $1 million buyout of a 2026 club option.

Hicks, 34, was released by the Yankees after slashing just .188/.263/.261 through the first two months of the 2023 season but he improved to .275/.381/.425 in 65 games for the Baltimore Orioles. He batted .253 with eight homers and 36 RBIs for the season. Hicks’ best stretch came from 2017 to 2020, when he had an .819 OPS while hitting 60 home runs in 338 games.

Hicks joins an outfield group that includes three-time American League MVP Mike Trout, Taylor Ward and Mickey Moniak plus Jo Adell. Trout and Ward missed significant parts of last season due to injuries.

The switch-hitter has played mostly center field throughout his career, but he also has plenty of experience at both corner outfield spots. His addition could allow the Angels to use one of their other outfielders to acquire a starting pitcher or an impact hitter via trade, but he also serves as depth behind the potential for injuries and the development of Adell, who is out of minor league options and can’t be sent down without being exposed to waivers.

“With the injuries we’ve had in the outfield in the last few years, you want guys that can do a lot of things, and Aaron is one of those guys,” Angels general manager Perry Minasian said on a video conference call with reporters. “I wouldn’t rule anything out. They’re gonna have opportunities to play, and obviously spring training is gonna be important. As currently constructed we still have room for everyone.”

“If anyone has watched us over the last few years, things change by the day. So for us, it’s to acquire as many quality players as we can to get as many different options as you can. Things have a funny way of sorting themselves out over the course of spring.”

Hicks’ presence does not mean Trout, 32, is moving out of center field.

“Mike’s our center fielder,” Minasian said. “We’ve learned this over the last couple of years, at least since I’ve been here – you need players that can play multiple positions. You don’t know what’s gonna happen. He’s somebody that’s played center. He played center last year for Baltimore in certain instances, obviously a very good team that made the playoffs. He can play right, he can play left, he can really throw, so he’s somebody that can help us in a lot of different ways.”

Hicks is a career .233/.332/.387 hitter with 108 home runs, 120 doubles, 71 stolen bases and 387 RBIs in 963 games with the Twins (2013-15), Yankees (2016-2023) and Orioles (’23). His numbers are better against lefties (.758 career OPS) and a .702 career OPS against right-handers. Last year, his splits were extreme – a .970 OPS against lefties and .663 against righties.

“It was something we really looked at,” Minasian said. “There’s certain times where [Manager Ron] Washington will play matchups.”

Hicks has had frequent injury issues and has only played in at least 130 games once in the last five seasons.

“He played really well for Baltimore after making the change from New York, and we saw a rejuvenated guy that can still really play,” Minasian said. “He can be productive. As far as somebody who really fit what we were looking for, he stood out.”

Hicks grew up in San Pedro and Long Beach before the Minnesota Twins selected him 14th overall in the 2008 draft.

2023 RECAP

The Angels built their roster with enough extra players to get them through some injuries, but it wasn’t enough for what they endured. Third baseman Anthony Rendon, first baseman Jared Walsh, second baseman Brandon Drury, utility infielder Gio Urshela and shortstop Zach Neto (who began the season at Triple-A) all spent more than a month on the injured list. David Fletcher spent most of the season at Triple-A. The Angels were so thin that they had to make midseason deals for veterans Mike Moustakas and C.J. Cron. Amid all of that, Drury had the best season, slugging 26 home runs with an .803 OPS in 523 plate appearances. Luis Rengifo started slowly but sizzled through the summer, ending up with 16 homers and a .783 OPS in 445 plate appearances. Neto, who was just drafted nine months before his debut in April, finished with a .685 OPS, but he played spectacular defense. At the end of the season, the Angels got a look at first baseman Nolan Schanuel, who they had just drafted in July. He reached base safely in all 29 of his games on his way to a .402 on-base percentage.

HOW IT LOOKS RIGHT NOW

The Angels moved on from Fletcher when he was traded in December and allowed Urshela, Moustakas and Cron to go as a free agents, while making no significant additions in the infield. Heading into spring training, the most likely alignment is Schanuel at first, Drury at second, Neto at shortstop and Rendon at third. Of course, the Angels need to prepare for the possibility of Rendon being injured again. He has missed most of the last three seasons with injuries, but the Angels are clearly a better team when he’s in the lineup. They need to get more in 2024 out of a player in the fifth year of a seven-year, $245 million deal. They still have Rengifo, who could either play third or play second, moving Drury to third. It’s possible that those five players could deliver enough production out of the four spots, but there are questions about everyone. Rendon’s injury history is the biggest issue, but they also haven’t seen enough of Neto or Schanuel to know what to expect. Drury is 31. Rengifo hasn’t yet shown consistent production for a whole season.

THE NEXT LAYER

The Angels picked up first baseman Evan White in the trade that sent Fletcher to the Braves. White is an elite defensive player, but he’s never hit during his injury-marred seasons in the majors. The Angels signed third baseman/outfielder Hunter Dozier to a minor league deal. Kyren Paris, who was drafted as a shortstop, reached the big leagues in 2023 (going 4 for 40). The Angels have been bouncing him around to different positions, so he could settle in at second base or even play some outfield. Michael Stefanic made significant strides defensively and offensively last year, giving the Angels an option at second or third.

MOVE THEY COULD MAKE

Moustakas is 35 and demonstrated last season that his performance suffered when he was pressed into everyday playing time. However, the Angels loved his clubhouse presence. If he were willing to come back on a discounted deal with the understanding that he would play sparingly, he could be a useful piece. They could also sign Justin Turner, 39, who was much more productive than Moustakas last season even though he’s older. Both players are Southern California natives who play multiple infield positions and could provide some leadership. The Angels also could use a true shortstop to play if Neto goes down for an extended period of time. Tim Anderson, Nick Ahmed and Brandon Crawford are all still available as free agents, although it might be tough to convince any of them to accept a Plan B.

2023 RECAP

Max Stassi’s hip injury – and subsequent time away to tend to his prematurely born son – set the stage for Logan O’Hoppe to begin the season as the starter, even though he’d played just five major league games previously. He established himself as a favorite of the pitchers and he showed some pop with his bat, but he hurt his shoulder two weeks into the season, requiring surgery that knocked him out until late August. He still hit 14 home runs in just 199 plate appearances, with a .796 OPS. While O’Hoppe was out, Matt Thaiss and Chad Wallach split the duties. They held their own offensively, although both slumped late in the season. It all added up to a .706 OPS from the catchers, which was 15th in MLB. The relative lack of major league experience behind the plate might have had a negative impact on the pitchers, though.

HOW IT LOOKS RIGHT NOW

The Angels cleared the way to go with the same cast as last season when Stassi was traded in December. O’Hoppe certainly looks like he should be a productive starting catcher, based on what he did in his rookie season. If he takes the expected steps forward offensively, defensively and in leadership, he could emerge as one of baseball’s best young catchers. Thaiss, who is out of options, is in line to be O’Hoppe’s backup.

THE NEXT LAYER

In addition to re-signing Wallach to a minor league deal, the Angels signed Francisco Mejia to a minor league deal in December. Mejia was once one of the top catching prospects in baseball, but lately, he’s settled into a career as a competent backup. Mejia produced a .682 OPS over the past three years with the Tampa Bay Rays.

MOVE THEY COULD MAKE

If the Angels want a veteran to help guide O’Hoppe, they could go after a free agent like Yasmani Grandal, Mike Zunino, Curt Casali or Cam Gallagher. Grandal is known as one of baseball’s best framers.

Build a dominant bullpen.

On the day when the Angels finalized their three-year, $33 million deal with right-hander Robert Stephenson they also reportedly agreed to terms with left-hander Matt Moore on a one-year, $9 million deal.

The Angels did not confirm the deal with Moore, who pitched most of last season in Anaheim.

So far this winter the Angels have barely touched most of the roster, but they’ve added Stephenson, Moore, Luis Garcia, Adam Cimber and Adam Kolarek to the bullpen. They join a group that already included closer Carlos Estévez and hard-throwing José Soriano and Ben Joyce, who were both rookies last season.

The Angels’ bullpen needed plenty of help after finishing 25th in the majors with a 4.88 ERA last year. Estévez was solid in the ninth inning for about two-thirds of the season, but the Angels had issues all season setting him up.

The Angels had a 5.28 ERA in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings last season. They were outscored by 113 runs in those innings.

“For us to win more games and especially compete, we have to be better in the middle innings,” General Manager Perry Minasian said on a Zoom call earlier in the day to announce the Stephenson deal.

At the time, Minasian said the Angels were “definitely not done” making improvements, and hours later the news broke of the deal with Moore.

Moore, 34, is a veteran of 12 major league seasons. He signed with the Angels just at the beginning of spring training last year, and he produced a 2.66 ERA in 41 games. The Angels let him go via waivers at the end of August in a cost-cutting move. He was claimed by the Cleveland Guardians, then waived again and claimed by the Miami Marlins.

Although Moore was actually better against righties than lefties last year, he nonetheless gives the Angels a different look for a group that was heavily right-handed. Estévez, Stephenson, Garcia, Cimber, Soriano and Joyce are all righties, as are Andrew Wantz and Jimmy Herget.

Stephenson joins the group after a breakthrough second half with the Tampa Bay Rays.

Stephenson, 30, had a 5.14 ERA in two months with the Pittsburgh Pirates and a 4.90 ERA in parts of seven previous big league seasons, before the Rays suggested the change to his slider.

After that, Stephenson had a 2.35 ERA with 60 strikeouts in 38⅓ innings.

“He had a new toy, with the change of speed on his slider, and he was one of the best, if not the best, relievers in baseball over the last 40 innings,” Minasian said.

Although the pitch has been described as a cutter, Stephenson said he still considers it his slider.

“It’s the exact same grip I use with my slider before. I just released a little bit different now so might move a little differently, but it’s still the same grip,” Stephenson said.

Whatever you call the tweak the Tampa Bay Rays made with Stephenson after they acquired him last June, it seems to be largely responsible for the three-year deal that became official on Tuesday.

That’s why the Angels were willing to make a relatively large investment for a setup man. The Angels also hedged their bet by including in the contract a $2.5 million club option that can be exercised if Stephenson spends 130 consecutive days on the injured list with an elbow issue. It is essentially insurance that allows the Angels to get back any season that Stephenson might miss because of Tommy John surgery. There is no buyout.

“I expect myself to be healthy every year,” Stephenson said, “but if something happens to my elbow where I end up getting hurt and missing time for it, it feels fair that on the backside I’d get a little bit more time with the Angels than originally planned.”

Stephenson also expressed confidence that his performance in his breakout season is sustainable. He said, besides the new way he started throwing his slider, he also had a new approach with the Rays.

“Just being more aggressive and trying to put guys in a hole quicker,” Stephenson said.

NOTE

The Angels reportedly agreed to a minor league deal with infielder Miguel Sanó. Sanó, 30, has a career .808 OPS in parts of eight big league seasons with the Minnesota Twins, but he did not play in 2023.

2023 RECAP

Center fielder Mike Trout missed half the season with a fractured hamate bone, marking the third time in the last three years that the three-time American League MVP has missed significant time with an injury. He was just starting to heat up at the plate before he got hurt, after getting off to the worst start of his career. He finished the season with a .263 batting average, 18 home runs and an .858 OPS in 82 games. Left fielder Taylor Ward also got off to a slow start, started to find himself around midseason, but then he suffered a season-ending injury when he fractured bones in his face after he was hit by a pitch. Right fielder Hunter Renfroe actually started very well, but then he slumped for months. Eventually, the Angels let him go on waivers as a cost-cutting measure once they were out of the playoff race. The injuries cleared room for Mickey Moniak to get an extended opportunity, and he delivered. Moniak produced an .802 OPS in 323 plate appearances after posting a .486 mark in his first 167 plate appearances.

HOW IT LOOKS RIGHT NOW

The Angels didn’t make any significant additions to the outfield mix, so they’ll be counting heavily on Trout, Ward and Moniak to be productive and healthy. Trout, 32, is still young enough to produce an MVP-caliber season, if he can stay on the field. His offensive decline last year, even before he was hurt, raises the question of whether it was just a bad couple of months that would have been erased with a full season or the start of age catching up to him. Ward and Moniak have both produced at an elite level for stretches of two or three months, but neither has done it for a full season. Jo Adell, who is out of options this season, has dominated at Triple-A, but he has never produced in the majors. He figures to open the season in the rotation for regular playing time, and it will be up to him to show if he can finally deliver on his promise.

THE NEXT LAYER

The Angels signed veteran major leaguers Willie Calhoun, Jake Marisnick and Hunter Dozier to minor league deals, providing some depth. Jordyn Adams, the Angels’ first-round draft pick in 2018, has exceptional speed, defense and power potential, but he showed during his brief opportunity in the majors last year that he still has some rough edges. Trey Cabbage, who also plays first base, has plus power.

MOVE THEY COULD MAKE

Cody Bellinger, arguably the top offensive player outside of Shohei Ohtani on the free agent market, is still available. Bellinger would fit nicely as a left-handed bat in the middle of the Angels’ order, and he would be easy to slide into center field when Trout is at DH or if he is injured. At some point, Trout is going to move to a corner, so getting Bellinger on a multi-year deal could help the Angels prepare for that.