Ranking the LA Angels Three Biggest Needs After 15 Games

2.) A Boost in the Rotation

So far, the overall impact from the rotation has been positive. Trevor Cahill, Tyler Skaggs, and Felix Pena have been net gains despite speed bumps for each. However, Matt Harvey has been awful in the majority of his starts and Chris Stratton is, well, below-average to say the least.

While Harvey’s contract will likely keep his leash longer than Stratton, it is obvious there is room for improvement from those two spots. There are a few options here, but this Angels’ team won’t be able to keep up with the Seattle Mariners and Houston Astros throughout the regular season if they don’t improve this rotation, and fast.

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The first improvement could be from the two names in question. Both Harvey and Stratton are new to the American League, which could or could not be a big deal. Needless to say, three starts isn’t enough to judge a starting pitcher off of, and both will likely continue to be apart of the rotation through this month.

The second option could be bringing in someone outside the organization. Dallas Kuechel is still out there, though his price is likely too high for Billy Eppler and Co. There are trade options such as Madison Bumgarner and the duo of aces in Cleveland, but again, Eppler has been adamant to keep this core of prospects together.

The third option, and my personal favorite, is bringing up Griffin Canning to supplement the rotation. I took a look at Canning’s incredible start to his season in Triple-A Salt Lake (click here), and he has the swing-and-miss ability MLB teams crave. Canning wasn’t expected to reach Anaheim until this summer, but has likely accelerated his arrival date due to his dominance in two starts.