2 glaring mistakes the Angels made setting Opening Day roster

In many ways, the Angels made the right call more often than not when it came to deciding who to keep on the opening day roster. While many feared the team would keep underperforming bullpen arms over more promising young players, the team did what it had to do, DFA'ing the likes of Jose Quijada and Angel Perdomo and trading away Jose Suarez to add balance to the pen.

They also made the right call on Kyren Paris, keeping the youngster with the big-league club after a scorching spring that has carried over and seen him become the team's best hitter in the early going, though it remains to be seen if the club will use him correctly.

While there's a lot to like about the decisions the Halos made when setting the opening-day roster, two eye-catching issues stand out. Unfortunately, these two head-scratching decisions are related to one another, further complicating the situation.

The Angels kept too many shortstops on the opening day roster

With Zach Neto recovering from offseason shoulder surgery, it became clear that the Angels' top priority was to ensure they had someone who could keep the position afloat until his early-season return.

As a result, the Angels went with a shortstop-by-committee approach, with three different players getting the starting nod through six games. That cast of characters includes Kevin Newman, Tim Anderson, and Nicky Lopez.

Newman was an early offseason addition, seemingly indicating that he was one of the Halos' prime targets, which makes sense. A strong defender with a below-average but capable bat, the 31-year-old put up a respectable 1.4 fWAR season for the Arizona Diamondbacks, playing multiple positions and handling the bat well enough to finish with a .278 average.

The common assumption throughout the offseason was that Newman would be the starter until Neto returned, which would then push the versatile veteran into the utility infield role that he is best suited for. That logic was sound, however, a backup would've been needed.

The Halos seemed to provide that in minor-league free-agent signee Tim Anderson. The former Chicago White Sox has had a rapid fall from grace going from two-time All-Star and 2019 batting champ to one of the worst hitters in the league over the past two seasons.

Further confounding things was the eleventh-hour decision to sign the slick fielding Nicky Lopez. Another natural shortstop, Lopez is an extremely gifted defender who, aside from one outlier year in 2021, has been a negative with the bat. Still, his defensive prowess seemed to make him a fine backup option until Neto returned.

However, the Angels decided to keep all three, in addition to Kyren Paris, who is a middle infielder by trade but has now been seemingly pushed to roam the outfield exclusively. Unsurprisingly, Tim Anderson has been incredibly uninspiring in the opportunities he's received so far, and his presence on the roster is wholly unnecessary given Newman, Lopez, and Paris' ability to handle the middle infield roles.

Simply put, the Angels are now putting up unnecessary barriers to playing time for one of their best young hitters in Paris in addition to leaving another key need unfilled by creating a glut of shortstops.

Not providing Nolan Schanuel with a right-handed caddy at first base

The Angels are a right-handed heavy team. First baseman Nolan Schanuel is the only true lefty on the squad, with infielders Luis Rengifo and Yoan Moncada helping to provide balance due to their switch-hitting ability.

Like most left-handed hitters, Schanuel struggles against southpaws. In his young career his line against righties is a respectable, if not overly powerful, .261/.356/.366. Against lefties, that drops to .238/.341/.333.

During spring training, the Angels had a player who fit this bill on the roster. Veteran slugger J.D. Davis signed a minor-league deal back in late January, and while his spring got off to a slow start, he rebounded and finished with respectable numbers.

Davis finished the spring with a .255/.327/.404 line and has the ability to play first, third, and can fill in either outfield corner in a pinch. While his 2024 season left a lot to be desired, finishing with an 83 wRC+, he had been coming off a five-year stretch where he posted wRC+ numbers ranging from 103 all the way up to 137.

Davis is known for combining a lot of strikeouts with a lot of power, for that reason, he's a flawed player, but to fill a role as a right-handed power hitter that could give Schanuel a break against a tough lefty starter, plus fill in elsewhere on the diamond if need be, he seemed like a valuable piece to keep.

Instead, the Angels overloaded on shortstops, and insistent on carrying Tim Anderson instead of a more useful veteran, even though Anderson has done nothing to prove that the past two seasons were a fluke.

These decisions might not be the most egregious compared to other teams across the league; however, these depth roles can matter, and winning games in April and May is just as important as winning them down the stretch.

By insisting on maxing out of shortstops and giving Tim Anderson yet another shot at a comeback, the Angels have put two of their important young players, Paris and Schanuel, in less-than-ideal positions, which is yet another curious development for a team that is focused on building a core to eventually contend in the future.

More LA Angels News from Halo Hangout