3 Angels players we'll be glad are gone in 2024 and 2 we wish stayed

2 of 3

Players come and players go; that's just the way the business side of baseball works. The Los Angeles Angels, unfortunately, came up on the short end of the stick this offseason. Losing one of the greatest players of a generation is never an easy pill to swallow, but Angels fans will have to endure it.

But the Halos lost more than the reigning AL MVP this offseason. And while the loss of Shohei Ohtani will sting to quite some time, others won't be as costly. Which three Angels players will fans be glad to see gone, and who does the fanbase wish had stayed?

3 LA Angels players we'll be glad are gone in 2024 and 2 we wish stayed

Gio Urshela had no place on the LA Angels roster

Gio Urshela, who had a bounce-back year with the Minnesota Twins in 2022, was unable to duplicate that success with the Los Angeles Angels in 2023. While Urshela's .299/.329/.374 slash line wasn't awful, after posting a 119 OPS+ with the Twins in 2022, the infielder's 91 OPS+ last season was a letdown.

The biggest issue was, of course, the pelvic injury that Urshela incurred midway through the season. Though it didn't require surgery, it did knock the former New York Yankees infielder out for the remainder of the season and gave the Angels a preview of life with Zach Neto at shortstop.

With Neto all but installed as the Halos' starting shortstop heading into the 2024 season, Urshela didn't have a home. The Angels brought along 2023 draftee Nolan Schanuel very quickly, and he's expected to be the club's first baseman during the upcoming season. With Brandon Drury, Anthony Rendon, and Luis Rengifo all expected to be regulars in Ron Washington's lineup, there was no place for Urshela to play.

Throw in the bevy of non-roster invitees who are vying for a spot this spring, and Urshela won't be missed heading into the 2024 season. Urshela latched on with the Tigers and will look to break camp with Detroit this spring after playing in just 62 games last season.

LA Angels fans can't believe Shohei Ohtani is really gone

This seemed as though it was always going to happen, right? While the Los Angeles Angels were said to be involved in the negotiations for Shohei Ohtani, it felt all along as though the Los Angeles Dodgers were going to emerge with the two-way superstar this offseason.

The contract, while obscene, will likely be worth every penny for the Dodgers, especially if Ohtani brings them multiple World Series championships - something he was never able to achieve while playing in Anaheim.

One could make the argument that losing Ohtani is a double-whammy, as the reigning AL MVP was not only an All-Star-level hitter, but a Cy Young-caliber pitcher as well. The fact that the Angels never made it to the postseason with both Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout will haunt Angels fans for quite some time.

Randal Grichuk's bat will be missed against LHP

Life without Ohtani is going to be rough, but the Angels will also miss having Randal Grichuk's bat in the lineup as well. Acquired at the trade deadline from the Colorado Rockies, Grichuk put up quality numbers against left-handed pitchers.

Grichuk's .328/.388/.607 slash line and 165 OPS+ against southpaws will not be easily replaced. The Angels are hopeful that former first-round draft pick Jo Adell finally lives up to his potential, but to date, the 24-year-old has fallen woefully short of expectations. Grichuk joined the defending NL Champion Arizona Diamondbacks this offseason on a one-year deal.

Mike Moustakas will not be missed after signing with the White Sox

How is Mike Moustakas still receiving contract offers? The former All-Star, whose best days are far behind him, was dumped by the Cincinnati Reds prior to the start of the 2023 season. The Reds ate $22 million worth of salary after previously signing Moose to a four-year, $64 million contract. He was then picked up by the Colorado Rockies.

Even the worst team in the NL West had no need for Moustakas and traded him midway through the 2023 season for pitcher Connor Van Scoyoc. Moustakas appeared in just over 60 games for the Halos and continued his disappointing decline while hitting just .236 with a .627 OPS.

No one in LA is crying a river of tears with Moustakas off to the South Side of Chicago. Moose signed a minor-league contract with the White Sox this offseason and will be looking to relive his glory days in the AL Central.

C.J. Cron's return to the LA Angels was not one to remember

Another trade acquisition last summer was C.J. Cron. While Randal Grichuk actually put up good numbers in an Angels uniform, the same cannot be said for Cron. A former first-round pick of the Angels back in 2011, Cron performed well for the Halos during his first stint in LA. From 2014-2017, the University of Utah product consistently put up double-digit homers and a respectable .449 slugging percentage.

But his return to the organization that drafted him only saw Cron appear in 15 games. Cron was placed on the IL in August with back issues, came back to appear in just one game, and then landed on the IL once again. The reunion did not go as planned, and Cron will not be missed in 2024. The 34-year-old agreed to a minor-league deal with the Boston Red Sox this spring.

manual

Home / LA Angels News