3 areas of strength LA Angels will have post-MLB lockout

No. 2 area of strength LA Angels will have post-MLB lockout: A much better back-end of the bullpen

The LA Angels already had a good back-end of the bullpen with Raisel Iglesias leading the way. They also had the chance to re-sign Steve Cishek, who's also excelled in back-end roles during his MLB career. They still have that chance, and they signed Aaron Loup to take the set-up role.

Therefore, the eighth and ninth innings will be set. Iglesias had 34 saves last year and Loup had an 0.95 ERA. Find me a better back-end combo in this league than those two.

Loup has been arguably the best signing the Angels have made so far, and having such a strength in the back of the pen gives the Angels the chance to now just focus on middle relief guys, instead of trying to overhaul the entire bullpen. And if they re-sign Cishek, it'll be one less arm they need to worry about acquiring. At that point, they'd only need one or two more key bullpen signings, and they don't need to break the bank to make that happen.

If the Angels starters can get through seven innings with a lead or a tie game, the Angels will win almost every time. It's a great position to be in.