The Los Angeles Angels missed the playoffs for an eighth consecutive season. After a promising start, the Angels collapsed at the end of May and were out of contention by August.
This has the potential to be a crazy off-season in Anaheim. There's a lot of uncertainty regarding owner Arte Moreno's status with the club. Will he sell?
There's also uncertainty regarding Shohei Ohtani. Will he get traded? Can the Angels convince him to stay long-term?
The Angels have some holes to fill this offseason, but have the makings of a nice roster centered around Ohtani and Trout. If they play their cards right, they might finally be able to squeak back into the postseason.
1) Big area of need for the Angels to address this offseason: Left Field
The Angels can potentially have an elite offense in 2023. Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout are arguably the two best players in baseball. Anthony Rendon has struggled to stay on the field but signed his mega-deal for a reason. If he's the Anthony Rendon the Angels thought they were getting when they signed him, that 2-3-4 in the order is among the best in baseball with those three mashers.
The Angels have Jared Walsh who I expect to bounce back in 2023 and be a nice power bat. They have Taylor Ward and Luis Rengifo who both broke out in 2022 and should improve.
They might even be set at catcher with Logan O'Hoppe if he has a good spring. This Angels lineup should be good but the one hole is left field.
Jo Adell and Mickey Moniak are both top prospects who haven't done much at the big-league level. The Angels can have them compete for a starting spot, or bring in an outfielder. There're some solid outfielders that the Angels can bring in who are more proven and can make the team better.
There's always the chance that Adell and/or Moniak show up to Spring Training and suddenly look much better at the plate, but it's hard to bank on that at this point. I think a veteran in left field is important to acquire.