2 LA Angels that don't belong on the roster and one that does
The LA Angels have been off to an impressive start in the month of April and are returning home to take on the Orioles in which the team will have to make some decisions.
David Fletcher will eventually come off the IL and that means one of the infielders may be sent down.
Add in a different look in the bullpen and you're looking at a fresh and new roster that should keep them competitive.
Andrew Velasquez is the odd man out of the LA Angels infield.
LA Angels fans have been treated to a dynamic infield while Fletcher has been on the shelf and while it sucks to do this, Andrew Velasquez has to be the one to go. Previously, I wrote that Jack Mayfield might be the one to go, but he's stepped it up since then and solidified himself a roster spot.
Velasquez has a wOBA (Weighted On Base Average) of .242 and an fWAR of 0.0 which basically means that he's the most replaceable right now. His inability to handle multiple positions also puts him on the lowest of the infield depth. It's tough to do this because Fletcher hasn't been hitting at all with an abysmal .127 wOBA and -0.1 fWAR.
Austin Warren needs time to figure things out for the LA Angels.
The bullpen has been absolutely stellar so far this season for the LA Angels, however, one player that may soon be out of it is Austin Warren. With the return of Andrew Wantz, Warren might be aced out due to him not really having a role anymore. Warren currently has a 5.00 FIP right now, and has walked 9.6 batters per nine innings.
Originally, it was a breath of fresh air to see Warren in the 6th inning to come in and clean things up, but if Mike Mayers can bounce back and Wantz returns to form, it might force the LA Angels to make a move. It's a good problem to have as the bullpen has been lights out for the team so far, giving them plenty of options.
Warren still has a 3.86 ERA, so it hasn't been all bad, but with the talent the Halos have in the pen right now, a 2.143 WHIP certainly won't be able to cut it long-term if something doesn't change soon.
Elvis Peguero needs another look from the LA Angels.
With Warren being the out in the bullpen, that creates another need for middle inning relief that Elvis Peguero might be able to fill for the LA Angels. He's in AAA right now while posting a 1.84 FIP with a ground ball rate of 64.3% which will play nicely with the infield depth the team already has.
Peguero has already seen some action in the big leagues in 2021, but he has 3 more options available which can give the LA Angels some time to see if the numbers he's been putting up translate to the big leagues.
The first-place Angels are 8-5, but still have shown some areas that need improvement. Things are certainly coming around from where they were originally, and that momentum needs to continue. The Halos have won seven of their last nine games, and their next series starts Friday against Baltimore in Anaheim.
The Angels have been much better than the 4-8 Orioles so far this season, however the O's' pitching staff has overachieved and will look to continue their success against the Halos. On the bump for LA in the series will be Reid Detmers, Noah Syndergaard, and Jose Suarez.