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3 reasons why the Angels will be even worse in 2024
It might get worse before it gets better for the Angels.
The Los Angeles Angels are looking for some positive signs after another embarrassing season. The 2023 Angels were supposed to be a team that pushed for the playoffs and convinced Shohei Ohtani they were capable of fielding a winning team. That did not happen.
The Angels hung around just enough to convince the front office to go all in at the trade deadline. The Angels parted with several of their top prospects in exchange for rentals only to immediately collapse and finish with 73 wins this season. This was the same amount of games as they won in 2022 when they sold at the deadline.
While you might not think things can get any worse, there are reasons to believe the Angels haven't hit rock bottom yet. Here are three reasons why the team will be even worse in 2024 than they were this past season.
1) Shohei Ohtani's Angels future is very much in doubt
Can Shohei Ohtani re-sign? Absolutely. I won't rule Ohtani staying until he officially joins another team. While I try to remain cautiously optimistic, Ohtani will presumably look to go somewhere where he can compete and try to win the World Series, and the Angels have shown time and time again that they're not that destination.
If Ohtani does leave, how exactly does this team improve? Sure, they should have better health and could see some of their rookies take a step forward, but Ohtani's production is virtually impossible for this team to replace.
Ohtani is going to win his second AL MVP award in the last three years, and he's going to do it with ease despite missing most of the final month of the season due to injury. At the plate, he slashed .304/.412/.654 with 44 home runs and 95 RBI. He led the AL in long balls despite not playing after September 3, and he was just three shy of tying Troy Glaus' Angels franchise record. It was easily Ohtani's best offensive season in the majors.
Ohtani on the mound wasn't quite as good as he was at the plate or even on the mound in 2022, but he was still an all-star level pitcher posting a 3.14 ERA in 23 starts and 132 innings pitched. The Angels had a subpar rotation with him, how will it fare without him? They were in the middle of the pack in runs scored with him, how will they do without him?
The Angels could go out and sign someone like J.D. Martinez to fill in as the team's DH, but he's not Ohtani. And guess what, even if Ohtani returns he won't be pitching. The rotation looks awfully weak regardless of Ohtani's status.
2) The bullpen is full of giant question marks
The Angels have made real attempts to improve their bullpen in the last couple of offseasons, inking several free agents on short-term deals, but they've consistently finished towards the bottom in bullpen production.
This past offseason they made better signings, bringing in Matt Moore and Carlos Estevez. Moore was excellent for the Angels but with the team out of it, they put him on waivers. Moore is a free agent again this offseason and I'm sure the Angels would love to bring him back, but they'll be bidding against 29 other interested teams.
Estevez's two halves were polar opposites of each other. He was an all-star in the first half, setting the franchise's record for consecutive saves to start the season and helping the Angels remain afloat in the playoff picture. The right-hander completely collapsed in the second half to the point where who knows if he'll even open the 2024 season as the team's closer?
The Angels have some young studs in their bullpen in Jose Soriano, Ben Joyce, and Sam Bachman, but they're all young, have major injury concerns, and showed some real inconsistencies with their command. They all can be good, but who knows if they actually will be.
This Angels bullpen lacks anyone the team can trust from top to bottom. Hopefully Estevez reverts back to his all-star form, but is the guy we saw in the second half who he really is? Can the young guys stay healthy and take a step? Can the Angels get bounceback seasons out of guys like Jimmy Herget, Jose Suarez, and Andrew Wantz? Unless they sign a guy like Josh Hader it's hard to believe in this bullpen.
3) There are no reasons to believe the Angels stars will stay healthy
Health wasn't the only reason the 2023 Angels collapsed, but to say it didn't play a role would be foolish. From top to bottom this team was absolutely obliterated by injuries, and it really cost them.
If Ohtani stays, there's obviously the concern of his elbow. He should be fine to hit, but it feels like he can re-aggrivate something with one swing. If Ohtani leaves, the injury concerns don't just disappear.
Mike Trout has averaged just 79 games played in the last three 162-game seasons after playing just 82 games in 2023. That's a major problem, and at age 32 it feels like that'll only get worse before it gets better. Anthony Rendon has had an even harder time staying on the field, averaging just 49 games played in the last three years. The worst part about Rendon's situation is that even if he stays healthy, it feels like he won't be any good. He has a .701 OPS since 2021.
Even outside of the highest paid players on the roster there're real injury concerns. Taylor Ward's season ended prematurely after being hit in the face. Is he going to healthy? If he's well enough to play can he remain productive? Luis Rengifo also saw his season end early due to injury. How will he recover?
Guys like Zach Neto, Logan O'Hoppe, Brandon Drury, Mickey Moniak, Chase Silseth, and Jo Adell all missed substantial time due to injuries in 2023. Can they stay healthy?
Chances are the Angels injury luck will be better than it was. It seriously feels like it can't get any worse. However, better doesn't mean good. If a slew of players on this team wind up missing serious time due to injury, the chances of them finishing with a better record in 2024 feel slim.
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