LA Angels: 3 problem areas LAA desperately needs to fix this offseason

The LA Angels have problems right now.

That’s something we all can agree on. I know you guys are frustrated, and I am too.

All of the areas we struggle at are fixable, though. If Arte Moreno is down to spend, he can spend quite a bit. The man’s worth $3.6 billion, and if he goes all out (like he can), we’ll be right in the thick of contention next year.

No. 3 problem area the LA Angels desperately need to fix this offseason: The shortstop position

The LA Angels really struggled at shortstop this year. We started the season going with Jose Iglesias who ended up being a major disappointment. He hit .259/.295/.375 with just eight home runs, 41 RBI, and 57 runs in 114 games.

He was a liability offensively, but he was good defensively, right?

Wrong. He had plenty of highlight reel plays at short, but had a terrible .958 fielding percentage and led the team with 16 errors. Keep in mind that this was 6 errors more than the next player, and also keep in mind that he didn’t even play with us the whole year.

After that, we had to audition young guys like Jack Mayfield and Luis Rengifo. I don’t particularly dislike those players, as they were thrown into situations they shouldn’t have had to be in. That being said, nobody actually thought they could be long-term answers for us.

The Halos need help at shortstop, and with names like Marcus Semien, Trevor Story, and Javier Baez available, we need to make something happen.

No. 2 problem area the LA Angels desperately need to fix this offseason: The bullpen

Even as an LA Angels fan, it was pretty hard to not laugh at how bad the bullpen was last year.

The Angels’ bullpen posted the seventh-worst ERA of any Major League squad last year (4.57), the tenth-most walks per nine innings (4.04), and the sixth-worst WHIP (1.40).

Other than Raisel Iglesias and Steve Cishek, it’s hard to think of many quality relievers on this team. And Iglesias is outstanding. He’s established himself as one of the best relievers in baseball.

He can’t carry an entire bullpen, however, so the Angels need to act and act quickly.

Available in free agency this offseason are relief pitchers like Kenley Jansen, Brad Hand, and even Craig Kimbrel if the White Sox turn down his option to save money.

The bullpen needs to be prioritized. It should even be prioritized over any position in the lineup, including shortstop.

We have plenty of offense and offensive potential on the cards for next year, and need to focus this offseason on pitching. That includes the relievers, and moves need to be made as soon as free agency starts.