1 area the Angels have gotten better, 1 they got worse, 1 that has stayed the same
![Jun 10, 2023; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Adam Cimber (90) throws against the](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_3813,h_2144,x_0,y_126/c_fill,w_752,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/107/01hkwjc06p6awxnwqry7.jpg)
The offseason continues to chug along, and while we've heard the Los Angeles Angels linked to several of the top free agents available, they've done virtually nothing. The most impactful move that this 73-win team has made so far is hiring Ron Washington to manage. While Washington was an exciting hire, that's just not what Angels fans wanted to see by January 11.
While the team has been relatively inactive, they have still gotten better in one area while they got worse in another and remained stagnant in the third.
The Angels have better pitching depth than they did last season
While the additions the Angels have made aren't super impactful, they do add some much-needed depth for an organization that has lacked it for years, particularly on the pitching side.
The Angels signed Adam Kolarek, Luis Garcia, and Adam Cimber all to cheap one-year deals. Kolarek has already been outrighted off the 40-man roster and sent down to AAA, but Garcia and Cimber will make the Opening Day roster. Both of those right-handers add a nice veteran presence who have had success in the past, but are coming off down seasons and are only getting older.
They should be fine in middle relief, but not much better than guys like Jimmy Herget and Andrew Wantz. There's a good chance those two will join Kolarek in the minors. Again, they're not needle-movers, but as depth pieces sitting in AAA it's better than what the Angels have had.
Adding Zach Plesac, another pitcher who has succeeded at the MLB level before and can be optioned gives the Halos a depth piece they can count on to contribute at some point. Plesac is another one coming off a down year, but as a sixth or seventh option the Angels can and have done worse.
It's not the most exciting area to improve upon, but the Angels have more quality pitching depth than they had.
The Angels lineup has gotten worse this offseason
Look. When you lose Shohei Ohtani and don't replace him with anyone, the lineup is going to get worse. Ohtani just won the MVP award and put up one of the best offensive seasons in Angels history. Replacing his bat just isn't possible, but that's still not an excuse for the Angels to do nothing.
The Angels have shown interest in players who have signed like Kevin Kiermaier, Teoscar Hernandez, and Harrison Bader, but have not signed a single position player to a MLB contract. They did add depth pieces like Willie Calhoun and Jake Marisnick on minor league deals, but they're far from difference makers and likely won't make the team.
The Angels were in the middle of the pack last season in runs scored, and losing Ohtani will presumably mean they'll get much worse. They can do a bit better than most expect if players like Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon stay healthy while young players like Logan O'Hoppe, Nolan Schanuel, and Zach Neto continue to progress, but that might all be wishful thinking.
There's still time for the Angels to make impactful moves, but none have occurred yet. Adding a couple of bats likely won't make the lineup much better, but there's a chance it wouldn't be worse. Letting Ohtani go and not replacing him whatsoever is asking for the lineup to take a step back.
Despite the additions, the Angels bullpen feels just as good as it was
Adding arms like Kolarek, Garcia, Cimber, and Plesac gives the Angels more MLB-caliber depth, but they're still not better than the 25th or 26th men on any given roster. Considering this Angels bullpen was a major weakness in 2023 once again, that's a problem.
Right now, the Angels have Carlos Estevez penciled in as the team's closer. Estevez was dynamite in the first half of last season, but the way he finished left a lot to be desired. The question of whether he should be handed the job is one worth discussing.
The Angels are relying heavily on young relievers like Jose Soriano and Ben Joyce to be key set-up men for Estevez. This could turn out really well. They obviously have a ton of talent and displayed it in their first MLB action. However, they're far from proven, and both come with injury concerns. It's hard to rely on these young relievers to be consistently great, and that's what the Angels are counting on them to be by not adding a legitimate late-game arm.
Garcia and Cimber being the only real additions to enter this bullpen that was among the worst in the majors last season is a problem. They're not worse than what they had, but they're also not really any better. The depth is improved, but the ceiling is not. Without a big addition, it feels like the same old Angels bullpen.
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