The Angels seem to be happy with where the team is at, even if it does not look too formidable on paper. As of yet, they have not made a late addition in free agency as a last-ditch effort to round out the roster. Spring training shows the coaches and front office where their strengths and weaknesses are, and the Angels lack of activity once camp broke is actually a positive!
The players on the bubble needed to show more than the others in order to break camp with the major league roster -- 2 were able to get that done and will probably begin the season on the Opening Day roster, and 2 undoubtedly have not.
2 Angels players who played their way onto the Opening Day Roster
Ryan Noda
Niko Kavadas seemingly had the edge on Noda entering spring training, but he is gone and Noda is playing nearly every game now (he is getting reps in right field too). His calling card is his plate discipline, and he has shown that in spades. His 10 BBs leads the Angels' position players, and his .457 OBP only trails Mike Trout and Logan O'Hoppe's marks of the players still in major league camp.
Garrett McDaniels
The Angels were rooting for McDaniels to succeed in camp, as retaining assets is the name of the game for a down-on-their-luck franchise. Obviously, he was not going to make the Opening Day roster if he pitched poorly, but McDaniels looks like a revelation. Take that, Dodgers!
McDaniels is battling Ryan Johnson, another pitcher who is far from proven, for a major league bullpen job. The Angels will definitely opt for the scenario where they can keep both McDaniels and Johnson in the organization by giving McDaniels the spot.
2 Angels players who played their way off the Opening Day Roster
Scott Kingery
Kingery is only slashing .154/.281./192./474, showing that he is only in camp for his defensive versatility. Kingery was never going to be an every-day player if he made the Opening Day roster, and his stats at the plate have reflected why that is the case. The only way Kingery makes the team is if Luis Rengifo does end up hitting the injured list.
José Suarez
Why? Why do Angels reporters and fans do it to themselves? Credible Angels insiders actually said, and are still saying, he is a lock for the roster. They actually said he came into camp thinner and will be a different version of himself. They asked if he was a candidate for the rotation.
Let the record show that Halo Hangout never bought back into Suarez reclaiming his former glory. Sure, the Angels tinkered with him too much and did not let him throw his changeup (his bread and butter pitch) as much as he should have been. What's also true is he cannot lock in, be it week-to-week, outing-to-outing, or even inning-to-inning.
At the end of the day, the Angels need to DFA Suarez to get him off the Opening Day roster because he is out of options...and he will clear waivers and come right back to the Angels. Such is his career -- the Angels keep sending him away, but he just keeps on coming back.
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