The Future Looks Good for the Angels

Thursdays trade for Kyle Kubitza revealed the Angels front office plans for continually fielding a championship team. With the rise of revenue in baseball creating enormous contract expectations for free agents, you can’t expect to land the players you need. They also realize more than more teams, just what those giant contracts can do to handcuff your future.

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Jerry Dipoto was quoted as saying “Right now, we’re hyper-focused on being prepared for Feb. 19, the start of Spring Training, and getting ourselves prepared for the 2015 season,” Dipoto said. “But we’re always paying attention to what happens in 2016 and beyond, and trying to build in layers of depth in the system.” The Angels are continually working on building a team for each of the next six seasons.

In order to find out how the team is constructed for future success I have started with 2016 and listed the likely starters for each position until 2020. Which happen to be the same years Mike Trout will be around to carry the team. Surely things will look different as players are extended, traded and without question some are going to come in via free agency to make up for where prospects fail or immediate success is deemed lacking. Due to the possibilities in the rotation and bullpen depth players are listed as well.

2016

C – Jett Bandy/Carlos Perez

1B – Albert Pujols/C.J. Cron

2b – Grant Green/Josh Rutledge/Alex Yarbrough/Johnny Giavottella

SS – Erick Aybar

3B – Kyle Kubitza

LF – Josh Hamilton

CF – Mike Trout

RF – Kole Calhoun

DH — C.J. Cron/Albert Pujols

Starting Pitchers – Garrett Richards, Jered Weaver, C.J. Wilson, Andrew Heaney, Matt Shoemaker, Tyler Skaggs, Hector Santiago, Nick Tropeano

Bullpen – Joe Smith, Cory Rasmus, Mike Morin, Cam Bedrosian, Vinnie Pestano, Jose Alvarez, Drew Rucinski, Trevor Gott, Jeremy Rhoades

The pitching staff still looks really deep due to the trades Dipoto has been able to pull off.

2017

C – Jett Bandy/Carlos Perez

1B – Albert Pujols/C.J. Cron

2b – Grant Green/Josh Rutledge/Alex Yarbrough

SS – Roberto Baldoquin

3B – Kyle Kubitza

LF – Josh Hamilton

CF – Mike Trout

RF – Kole Calhoun

DH — C.J. Cron/Albert Pujols

Starting Pitchers – Garrett Richards, Andrew Heaney, Matt Shoemaker, Tyler Skaggs, Hector Santiago, Nick Tropeano, Sean Newcomb

Bullpen – Cam Bedrosian, Cory Rasmus,Mike Morin, Vinnie Pestano, Jose Alvarez, Nate Hyatt, Trevor Gott, Drew Rucinski, Jeremy Rhoades, Tyler Deloach

A lot of money comes off the books for this season. No doubt this list will look different as the extra funds are spent. Even with Weaver and Wilson gone the pitching staff looks solid and may not need much change. The bullpen loses Smith but with the pitching heavy drafts of the last couple of years reinforcements may be available within.

Aug 15, 2014; Arlington, TX, USA; Los Angeles Angels right fielder Kole Calhoun (56) during the game against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

2018

C – Jett Bandy/Carlos Perez

1B – Albert Pujols/C.J. Cron

2b – Grant Green/Josh Rutledge/Alex Yarbrough

SS – Roberto Baldoquin

3B – Kyle Kubitza

LF – Colin Cowgill

CF – Mike Trout

RF – Kole Calhoun

DH — C.J. Cron/Albert Pujols

Starting Pitchers – Garrett Richards, Andrew Heaney, Matt Shoemaker, Tyler Skaggs, Nick Tropeano, Sean Newcomb, Christopher Ellis

Bullpen – Cam Bedrosian, Cory Rasmus, Mike Morin, Jose Alvarez, Nate Hyatt, Trevor Gott, Drew Rucinski, Jeremy Rhoades, Tyler Deloach

Hamilton is gone at this point so unless the Angels find a way to draft or develop a new left fielder free agency is a definite option at this time.

2019

C – Jett Bandy/Carlos Perez

1B – Albert Pujols/C.J. Cron

2b – Grant Green/Alex Yarbrough

SS – Roberto Baldoquin

3B – Kyle Kubitza

LF – Bo Way

CF – Mike Trout

RF – Kole Calhoun

DH — C.J. Cron/Albert Pujols

Starting Pitchers – Garrett Richards, Andrew Heaney, Matt Shoemaker, Tyler Skaggs, Nick Tropeano, Sean Newcomb, Christopher Ellis, Joe Gatto

Bullpen – Cam Bedrosian, Cory Rasmus,Mike Morin, Jose Alvarez, Nate Hyatt, Trevor Gott, Drew Rucinski, Jeremy Rhoades, Tyler Deloach

This will be our last year with Richards unless he can be extended. Aside from him the team still looks capable of being very solid even if the front office decided to take the next few years off. Bo Way has a lot to prove to make it to left field in the future but with a name like that I’ll be rooting for him.

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