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3 positions the Angels must address next after bolstering bullpen with Robert Stephenson signing

The Angels have more work to do even after signing one of the best relief pitchers available.

By Zachary Rotman |
Aug 27, 2023; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays relief pitcher Robert Stephenson (26)
Aug 27, 2023; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays relief pitcher Robert Stephenson (26) / Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
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The Los Angeles Angels made their first meaningful move of the offseason, bringing in Robert Stephenson on a three-year deal. Stephenson is coming off a career year with the Rays and is expected to play a huge role in what we can only hope is an improved Angels bullpen.

While bringing in Stephenson was a good start, the Angels still have plenty of holes to fill to fix what is still a very flawed roster. They must continue adding, and should address these three positions if they want to really improve their roster.

3) The Angels need to address their starting rotation after signing Robert Stephenson

The starting rotation was the biggest concern of many entering the offseason, and the Angels have done nothing to make it better. They added Zach Plesac who is a fine depth piece, but they haven't added anyone who'd be guaranteed to fit into the rotation. That's a major problem considering the fact that the Angels rotation was below-average even with Shohei Ohtani. With Ohtani gone and nobody in to replace him, it looks pretty bad.

The two obvious solutions to this rotation issue are Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery, but that'd involve the Angels spending more money on starting pitching than they ever have. Jered Weaver got the richest contract for a starting pitcher in Angels history, earning a five-year deal worth $85 million. Yes, that's it. There's a good chance both Snell and Montgomery double that total, making it extremely unlikely that the Angels bring one of them in.

The other avenue for the Angels to improve their rotation is via trade, but the issue of a lack of valuable pieces the Angels can give up is a major one. The Angels have one of the worst farm systems in baseball, and should not be trading the few good ones they have for pitchers with little team control.

In all likelihood, the pitchers we see on the team now are who we'll see starting games to begin the year. It's not what Angels fans want to hear, and Angels fans can only hope the team fill find a way to seriously address the rotation, but it just feels unlikely as of now.

2) The Angels need to add a big bat after signing Robert Stephenson

The Angels have done absolutely nothing to improve their lineup this offseason, which is puzzling. The Angels had an average offensive team this past season, ranking 16th in runs scored. They should be better in 2023 in certain areas like their hitting with runners in scoring position and durability, but they also lost Ohtani and have done nothing to replace him.

The Angels won't be replacing Ohtani, it's that simple. Even if they sign Cody Bellinger, the best free agent position player available, it's hard to see him coming close to replicating the season Ohtani just had at the dish. However, that doesn't mean the Angels shouldn't be doing anything at all.

There are several hitters out there who can be real difference-makers in the starting lineup. The cleanest fit would just be to sign J.D. Martinez, arguably the second-best DH in the game, to replace the departed DH Ohtani. If the Angels don't want to sign a player who can't play the field like Martinez, players like Justin Turner and Jorge Soler make a whole lot of sense.

This Angels offense can be respectable and even a tick above average if they make a meaningful addition. Relying on the same group they had just without Ohtani would be a really brutal and disappointing development.

1) The Angels still need another reliever after signing Robert Stephenson

The bullpen is obviously much-improved after signing Robert Stephenson, but the Angels would still benefit from another arm, particularly from the left side.

As of now, Jose Suarez would be the lone lefty in the Angels bullpen. They do have pitchers like Kenny Rosenberg and Kolton Ingram on the 40-man roster as well as Adam Kolarek off of it who can all make the Opening Day roster, but it's hard to see any of those three players doing so. While Suarez has shown some potential in the past, he was abysmal last season and should not be relied upon to get key outs as their lone lefty.

Additionally, the Angels would have all sorts of question marks with their Opening Day bullpen if they didn't make another addition. Will Carlos Estevez bounce back? Can Stephenson remain dominant? Can they rely on young arms Jose Soriano and Ben Joyce to be both healthy and consistently productive? Those are their four best relievers right there.

Adding a veteran left-handed reliever who can pitch late in games like Matt Moore or Wandy Peralta would go a long way for this Angels team. It would not break the bank at all, and would fill a necessary void.

Remember, the Angels had one of the worst bullpens in baseball last season. They hope pitchers like Luis Garcia and Adam Cimber can bounce back following down years, but they signed cheap one-year deals for a reason. They could use another arm to lessen the pressure on guys like Joyce and Soriano while adding some help for Estevez and Stephenson.

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