Will the Angels offseason moves be enough to compete in 2021?

Starting pitching is still an area the Angels need to address before the offseason is over.

Key Departures: Julio Tehran

Key Additions: Jose Quintana

Projected Current Opening Day Rotation: RHP Andrew Heaney, RHP Dylan Bundy, LHP Jose Quintana, RHP Griffin Canning, RHP Jaime Barria, RHP Shohei Ohtani*

A common theme for Angels fans over the past few years, the Halos came into the 2021 offseason with starting pitching as their top need. Some have even argued that the Angels are the team with the biggest need of pitching in the league, after finishing tied for the fifth worst ERA in the league in 2020.

Despite this, the Angels have yet to make a big splash, making only one move of signing free agent lefty Jose Quintana to a one-year deal. After solidifying himself as a well-known middle to top of the rotation arm with the White Sox from 2012 to 2016, Quintana has three and a half questionable years with the Cubs, most recently logging a 4.68 ERA over 174.1 innings in 2019.
While Quintana does provide the Angels with a veteran’s innings eater, he is hardly the top of the rotation stud the Angels are so desperately in need of.

The sluggishness being shown by the Angels front office certainly isn’t due to a slow starting pitching market, as Lance Lynn, Blake Snell, Yu Darvish, Corey Kluber, Mike Minor, Charlie Morton, and Joe Musgrove headline a long list of starting pitchers that have found new teams this offseason.

Trevor Bauer, Masahiro Tanaka, and James Paxton remain available via free agency, while multiple other names like Sonny Gray have been rumored available via trade.

The door is still wide open for the Angels to make a big splash, but should the front office remain conservative leading up to spring training, the Angels will once again head into the season with a rotation leaving a lot to be desired.

The Angels have made some new additions to their bullpen, but is it enough?

Key Departures: RP Cam Bedrosian, RP Matt Andriese, RP Keynan Middleton, RP Hansel Robles, RP Justin Anderson
Key Additions: RP Raisel Iglesias, RP Alex Claudio

Projected Current Opening Day Bullpen: CP Raisel Iglesias, SU Mike Mayers, SU Felix Pena, MID Ty Buttrey, MID Alex Claudio, MID Gerardo Reyes, MID Jose Alberto Rivera, LR Dillon Peters

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Despite their consistent failure to put together a competitive starting rotation, the Angels have found pieces of pitching success through their bullpen over the last two years.

Mike Mayers, Felix Pena, and Ty Buttrey were all pleasant surprises, contributing for the Angels in 2020. The team cut ties with a slew of different bullpen arms following the season. This includes 2010 1st round draft pick Cam Bedrosian, who had long been seen to have the potential of being a back end bullpen stud, and 2013 3rd round draft pick Keynan Middleton who just signed a one-year deal with the division rival Mariners.

The bullpen overhaul will result in a new-look supporting staff in 2021, starting with closer Raisel Iglesias, coming over from the Reds following a four-year span in which Iglesias saved 100 total games from 2016 to 2020. Iglesias will be a welcomed addition as the Angels led the league with 14 blown saves in 2020. Additionally, crafty as ever Alex Claudio should offer relief from the left side of the mound, as the team hasn’t had the services of a true left-handed specialist since Jose Alvarez filled the role in 2018.

One final addition, such as hard throwing righty Trevor Rosenthal or seasoned veteran Mark Melancon, would help solidify what is expected to be a decent bullpen.

Ultimately – the starting rotation seems to be much more in need of an immediate move, and that is where the front office should allocate its remaining resources.

Angels position players could be a strength in 2021.

Key Departures:
SS Andrelton Simmons

Key Additions:
SS Jose Iglesias, C Kurt Suzuki

Projected Current Opening Day Lineup: 2B David Fletcher, RF Jared Walsh/Jo Adell, CF Mike Trout, 3B Anthony Rendon, LF Justin Upton, DH Shohei Ohtani/Albert Pujols, 1B Jared Walsh/Albert Pujols, SS Jose Iglesias, C Kurt Suzuki/Max Stassi

Anchored by the two-headed monster that is Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon, the Angels figure to score enough runs to keep themselves in games in 2021. After forking up $245M for stud third baseman Anthony Rendon last off-season, the Angels front office certainly can’t be called frugal when it comes to spending money on run production.

Top to bottom, the Angels will have one of the best lineups in the league in 2021, as Trout and Rendon will be supported by on-base machine David Fletcher, 2020 standout Jared Walsh, and long time outfield slugger Justin Upton. Jose Iglesias comes in to replace Andrelton Simmons, and his solid bat to ball skills and stellar defensive metrics should prove to be a competent replacement for fan-favorite ‘Simba’.

Most recently, Kurt Suzuki signed a one-year deal to fill the Angels catching depth hole, and he and Max Stassi should be a formidable 1-2 combination.

So… did the Angels improve?

The Angels have indeed made moves to address their needs at shortstop, catcher, in the bullpen, and the rotation. Have the moves made them better? Yes. On a 1-to 1 scale, I will take
Jose Quintana over Julio Tehran, Raisel Iglesias and Alex Claudio over Bedrosian, Middleton, and Robles.

Jose Iglesias and Andrelton Simmons are very comparable players with the edge being given to Iglesias, citing Simba’s recent injury history and lack of progression as a hitter.

Kurt Suzuki fortifying Max Stassi certainly helps, but have those moves been enough?

No, they have not. As it stands in late January, the Angels have failed to address the biggest roadblock to getting Mike Trout into the playoffs for the first time since 2014.

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With only a few weeks left for the Angels to acquire the ace they’ve desperately needed for years, all eyes will be on the front office to see if they can pull it off.