LA Angels 2025 Opening Day Roster Projection 2.0: Is Christian Moore in or out?

The Angels are trimming their roster in order to allow the roster probables to ramp up with big league game reps in anticipation of the regular season. Gone are the guys who the Angels are no longer considering for the Opening Day roster, as the evaluators want to focus on the player development of guys who actually have a chance of making the team at this point in camp.

The team is looking much different now, and much of the original projections have been tweaked by many of the people who cover the Angels. Anthony Rendon is out for the season -- not that he was a lock for the team in the first place. Niko Kavadas is officially out of the race, as are Hans Crouse, Shaun Anderson, and Caden Dana. Zach Neto is not going to be ready for Opening Day. Mike Trout is officially a full-time right fielder.

Let's see how the team might shape up as of now.

LA Angels 2025 Opening Day Roster Projection 2.0

Starting Rotation (5) - Yusei Kikuchi, José Soriano, Tyler Anderson, Kyle Hendricks, Jack Kochanowicz

MiLB: Caden Dana, Sam Aldegheri, Víctor Mederos

Not too much is different here, other than our prediction for who wins the fifth spot in the Angels' rotation. Originally, Detmers was the choice but it's seeming more and more apparent that the team prefers Kochanowicz.

Chase Silseth started and Detmers made a long relief appearance in a game against the Rockies, which The OC Register's Jeff Fletcher surmised was solely because the team wanted Silseth to get an opportunity to start. That game was the only one Silseth had started in camp, and he's technically still a candidate. However, you cannot say that the team did not want to evaluate how Detmers took to a bullpen role. Everything the players do is under a microscope, and nothing the coaches do is accidental. By the way, Detmers looked really good.

A long relief role for Detmers, who has yet to pitch out of the bullpen in his professional career, could be a reality check for a young pitcher who might need to be taken down a notch in order to to be built back up. His development has hit a snag, and it might benefit both sides if he accepts a new role despite being the longest tenured Angels starting pitcher. Sending him back to Triple-A might completely shatter his confidence, but a move to the bullpen might allow him to dial it in and pitch a little more inspiredly.

Kikuchi, Soriano, Anderson, and Hendricks are all flashing positive signs in their outings. Kikuchi is deploying a sweeper, Soriano is pumping gas, Anderson is trying out different deliveries/release points, and Hendricks is getting educated at the Travis d'Arnaud school of keeping hitters off-balance.

Bullpen (8) -
Kenley Jansen-- closer
Ben Joyce -- closer/set-up
Brock Burke -- set-up, middle relief
Ryan Zeferjahn --set-up, middle relief
José Quijada -- middle relief
Garrett McDaniels --swing
Chase Silseth --swing
Reid Detmers--long relief

DFA: José Suarez

MiLB: Ryan Johnson, Michael Petersen, Hans Crouse, Shaun Anderson, Jack Dashwood

Injured List: Robert Stephenson, Sam Bachman

Crouse vs. Silseth was seemingly the last remaining battle. Both are not necessarily dominating spring training and cementing their case as to why they should begin the season with the major league team. Silseth has a higher ceiling if he converts to a full-time reliever, but the Angels might have wanted to opt for the more established Crouse. Well, Crouse was optioned down to Triple-A.

While Silseth's results are not the most encouraging (he has a 1.74 WHIPS and 8.71 ERA), you have to think that a move to the bullpen will improve his performance by boosting his velocity, stuff, and pitch usage choices. Plus, the Angels might not want to use too many of his minor league options this early in the season. Barring an injury, Silseth would likely be sent down when Stephenson is ready to go in a few months.

Bachman had a legitimate chance of making the Opening Day roster. Fletcher reported that he was shut down from his throwing program after describing "inflammation" in his arm. Another setback is more of the same from Bachman, who will probably be sent to the injured list. Out of caution and for roster construction purposes, the Angels would probably want to send Bachman to the 60-day injured list. The Angels could really use him, as he remains a pitcher with good upside.

Ryan Johnson looks incredible so far, but even the Angels have to realize that giving him a spot on the Opening Day roster would be ridiculous. He has yet to throw a single inning at the minor league level. He is competing to be an Angels reliever, but he will assuredly be built up as a starter in the minors. If/when Johnson gets optioned down, it will be interesting to see if he goes to Triple-A or Double-A.

David Robertson is still a free agent. Just saying.

Catchers (2) - Logan O'Hoppe & Travis d'Arnaud

Infielders (6) - Nolan Schanuel, Luis Rengifo, Kevin Newman, Yoán Moncada, Tim Anderson, Ryan Noda

MiLB: Christian Moore, Scott Kingery, Kyren Paris, J.D. Davis, Niko Kavadas, David Mershon, Chuckie Robinson, Juan Flores

Injured List: Zach Neto, Anthony Rendon

The pick for second base is Tim Anderson over Christian Moore. Moore has replaced Anderson as a substitute in games enough times to comfortably call the matchup for Anderson. Even though the Angels could have kept Luis Rengifo in a third base platoon with Moncada and Moore as the every-day second baseman, Anderson's ability to play both shortstop and second base looks to be the reason the Angels are starting him in nearly every spring training game. The notion of keeping Kevin Newman as your only shortstop on your Opening Day is definitely absurd, and it appears the Angels are acknowledging that at Moore's expense. Newman's a nice player, but he needs help.

Well, why can't Kyren Paris make the team over Anderson -- the Angels would have to make room on the 40-man roster to add Anderson but not for Paris? Bachman could easily be sent to the 60-day injured list and they have an obvious DFA candidate in Hans Crouse. When one of those transactions occurs, the corresponding move will undoubtedly be to move T.A. to the 40-man.

There might be some doubt out there, but it looks very likely that Rengifo will avoid the injured list because of his hamstring soreness. He is playing in games, albeit not the major league games. There is still plenty of time left in spring training for Rengifo to get game reps, while still making sure he does not further tweak his hamstring. When the Angels get to Opening Day, they can still monitor Rengifo's workload as he can be platooned with both Moncada at third base (ideally Moncada plays vs. RHPs, and Rengifo plays against LHPs) and Anderson at second base. Keeping him on the active roster about two weeks from now is not pushing it with him, despite him being incredible injury-prone.

Ryan Noda will assuredly be used more than Scott Kingery, and is less positionally redundant that adding Paris. They are trying Noda out in right field so he would not exclusively back up Schanuel at first, maybe also be a defensive replacement for him, and appear as a pinch hitter. He can't be that much worse than Jorge Soler in the outfield!

Outfielders (5) - Mike Trout, Taylor Ward, Jorge Soler, Jo Adell, Mickey Moniak

MiLB: Matthew Lugo, Gustavo Campero

There is not much to be said here, although keep an eye out for Matthew Lugo getting centerfield reps for the Angels. He is only playing a corner outfield spot, but if he can show merit as a centerfielder than Mickey Moniak's seat could get hotter as the regular season rolls on.

The only other thing to say with this obvious group of outfield projections is that if the Angels draft Jace LaViolette then he could easily debut this season. Nelson Rada could also debut this season. Christian Moore needs more outfield reps, and he could also debut as a left fielder if anything happens to Taylor Ward.

Projected lineups

vs. RHP
1. Ward—7
2. Trout—9
3. Schanuel*—3
4. Soler—DH
5. O’Hoppe—2
6. Moncada**—5
7. Anderson—4
8. Newman—6
9. Moniak*—8
Bench: Adell, Rengifo**, d’Arnaud, Noda*
* -- left-handed hitter
** -- switch-hitter

vs. LHP
1. Ward—7
2. Trout—9
3. Soler—DH
4. d'Arnaud—2
5. Rengifo**—5
6. Adell—8
7. Anderson—4
8. Schanuel*—3
9. Newman—6
Bench: Moniak*, Moncada**, O'Hoppe, Noda*
* -- left-handed hitter
** -- switch-hitter

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