Angels: Three options for an expanded roster

When Major League Baseball closed its doors due to the coronavirus, manager Joe Maddon was still deciding who should make the Angels 26-man active roster. If the season eventually returns, he will have three extra selections to make.

Major League Baseball and the Players Association reached an agreement this week on how to proceed through a complex situation that has delayed the start of the 2020 season. On a laundry list of logistical issues to sort out, the two sides had to consider how a condensed schedule should impact roster sizes. As part of the agreement, MLB will allow teams to carry an extra three players, 29 in total, for at least the first month of the season, according to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale.

Roster sizes were already set to expand an additional player from the traditional 25-man limit this season. Under the new rules that allowed 26-man active rosters, teams could design their depth charts while carrying a maximum of 13 major league pitchers. There is no word on whether there would be a similar limitation on pitchers under the 29-man rule; however, it would seem the spirit of the decision to expand rosters for the first month of the season is to give hurlers more time to build up pitching strength, likely after a shortened Spring Training.

How do expanded rosters impact the Angels? Who should Joe Maddon and general manager Billy Eppler select for the three extra spots? Let’s take a look.