Fansided

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

By Evan Desai |
Aug 25, 2021; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets pitcher Aaron Loup (32) at Citi Field.
Aug 25, 2021; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets pitcher Aaron Loup (32) at Citi Field. / Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports
2 of 3
Next
Sep 29, 2021; Arlington, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Angels second baseman David Fletcher (22) fields a
Sep 29, 2021; Arlington, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Angels second baseman David Fletcher (22) fields a / Andrew Dieb-USA TODAY Sports

While this MLB lockout couldn't be any more frustrating and annoying, the LA Angels have a few big things that are exciting for the fans to look forward to after the lockout.

The offseason will by no means be over when the lockout is done, and the Halos actually aren't in the worst spot when it comes to how they can finish this winter out.

The Angels have admittedly not had the offseason they should have had so far, but they have quite the opportunity to make up for it once this mess is finally over.

No. 3 area of strength LA Angels will have post-MLB lockout: Middle infield depth

Middle infield prowess is not a strength for the LA Angels, but their DEPTH in the middle infield absolutely is. After acquiring Tyler Wade and Andrew Velazquez, they now have several bodies that can man the two positions.

If Velazquez or Wade was brought in to start at short, then they at least provide good defense and Wade provides elite speed. They could also start them at second and have David Fletcher go over to shortstop, where he's also good at.

They already had some other depth pieces there such as Luis Rengifo and Jack Mayfield who they seem to like. Therefore, while other teams NEED to swing big on Trevor Story and Carlos Correa, the Halos already have a backup plan in case they can't sign either. If they can't pay for Story or Correa, then they'll simply spend on pitching, which would also have a huge benefit for the team.

The Halos already have a good enough lineup to the point where they don't need an elite shortstop.

Jul 28, 2021; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels relief pitcher Raisel Iglesias (32) moves
Jul 28, 2021; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels relief pitcher Raisel Iglesias (32) moves / Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

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.

Mar 24, 2019; Anaheim, CA, USA; Los Angeles Angels owner Arte Moreno at a press conference to
Mar 24, 2019; Anaheim, CA, USA; Los Angeles Angels owner Arte Moreno at a press conference to / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

No. 1 area of strength LA Angels will have post-MLB lockout: Lots of projected payroll money

If the LA Angels want to drastically improve the starting rotation and bullpen after the lockout ends, they absolutely can. They've only spent just over $161 million this year. Arte Moreno is not only worth $3.6 billion, but he's also an owner of a team in the LA market, and a team that resides in a beautiful LA/OC area. He should feel obligated to spend, especially now that he has the best two players in baseball in their primes.

I'll also add that he's not even paying Shohei Ohtani much right now. He has been reluctant to spend towards the top of the league in payroll consistently in the past, and this is his golden opportunity.

Due to the fact that he hasn't gotten it done in the past, it's admittedly hard to trust him. That being said, the truth is that the Halos have a strength in that they haven't spent a ton so far this offseason, and have the chance to finally go crazy once this lockout ends.

Grading the Angels 2021 bullpen. dark. Next

All the makings are in place for the Angels to have a great offseason. It's just going to be a matter of how serious Moreno is about this.

Next
Home / LA Angels News

Schedule