4 Angels Spring Training battles already brewing

Spring Training is mostly a time for fans to celebrate Major League Baseball finally being back. Los Angeles Angels fans pack Tempe Diablo Stadium in Tempe, Arizona, and watch the Angels for the first time in over four months with some new and exciting players.

Fans can watch players like Mike Trout take hacks for the first time in a while, and can also lay their eyes on some of the organization's best prospects like Nelson Rada in an Angels uniform.

While Spring Training is fun for fans to watch, it's also a time teams use to evaluate the roster. Most of it is set, but Spring Training can be used to determine the final outcomes of the Opening Day roster. These battles appear to be brewing as Spring Training draws near.

4) Chase Silseth has a lot of competition when it comes to the last spot in the Angels rotation

Chase Silseth's outstanding finish to his 2023 season has put him in the driver's seat for earning a spot in the 2024 Angels starting rotation. That could all change in an eyeblink if they sign a starting pitcher, but for now, Silseth is squarely in the running to start the fifth game of the season for the Halos.

Silseth had a bit of a strange year, moving back and forth from the rotation to the bullpen in the majors and minors before finally sticking as a starter in the bigs in the second half of the season. In the seven starts he made, he posted a 3.21 ERA in 33.2 innings of work. He pitched gems against good teams like the Yankees, Braves, Mariners, and Astros. The injury he suffered put a damper on things, but Silseth absolutely opened some eyes with his late-season performance.

The right-hander will earn a shot to compete if the roster stays as is, but has some competition. The Angels signed Zach Plesac, a pitcher with 83 MLB starts, to a one-year deal. He's not a lock for the minors even after how bad he was last season. While Jose Suarez feels like he'll be in the bullpen (if not traded), he'll likely earn a shot to compete for a starting spot as well.

That's not even including pitchers like Kenny Rosenberg and Davis Daniel who while facing long odds, pitched well down the stretch too. Silseth should be considered the favorite, but is far from a lock.

3) The last spot in the Angels bullpen will be occupied by anyone's best guess

The Angels have done a lot of work addressing their bullpen, signing Adam Kolarek, Adam Cimber, Luis Garcia, and Robert Stephenson to MLB deals. Three of the four are guaranteed to crack the Opening Day roster, with Kolarek the odd-man out. The southpaw was already outrighted off of the 40-man roster.

With that being said, Kolarek will be competing with countless others to make the bullpen. Pitchers like Jimmy Herget and Andrew Wantz who have been big parts of recent Angels bullpens will undoubtedly get long looks. Even younger under-the-radar options on the 40-man roster like Kolton Ingram and Kelvin Caceres could get a look even though they feel like depth options.

The Angels could get creative and carry multiple long relievers by considering guys like Kenny Rosenberg and Davis Daniel for bullpen spots. While they've both been mostly starters in the minors, they've worked out of the bullpen more often than not in relief. This last spot will be about who pitches best in Spring Training without another upgrade being made.

This isn't even including the ultimate Wild Card Sam Bachman. The Angels would probably prefer to use Bachman as a starter but can he stay healthy and productive enough in that role? We saw him impress in the bullpen, perhaps that could be his home long-term.

The favorite right now is probably one of Herget or Wantz, but if they struggle, don't be surprised to hear a multitude of names being thrown around for the last Angels bullpen spot if they don't add another reliever (which they should).

1) Can Jo Adell even crack the Angels Opening Day roster?

The Angels starting outfield appears to be set with Taylor Ward, Mike Trout, and Mickey Moniak as of now. Things could change if they sign Adam Duvall or another outfielder, but that's the starting trio most of the time for now. The fourth outfielder feels like Jo Adell's spot, but should it be?

Adell has done nothing to earn a guaranteed MLB roster spot, but he essentially has one. In a perfect world the Angels would send him down to the minors for even more seasoning, but he's out of options, meaning he'd have to clear waivers for that to happen. The simple reality with that is Adell would not clear waivers, and the Angels would lose him for nothing if they put him on waivers.

Trading Adell sounds like a great idea, but where is his value at? He has the tools to be really good, but has shown next to nothing at the MLB level. Even with his improvements last season, Adell fanned over 40% of the time in his MLB plate appearances. It sounds nice, but can they even get a half-decent return?

Adell as a fourth outfielder doesn't feel like the best idea. He'd probably platoon with Mickey Moniak in right field, but Adell has historically been more formidable against right-handed pitching than left. An outfielder like Jake Marisnick who excells defensively and against left-handed pitching makes far more sense in that role.

If Adell is here, he's likely going to make the team. He's too talented of a player for the Angels to risk losing for nothing, and with injury questions all over the roster, they'll probably be banking on him to get regular at-bats at some point. However, if he really struggles in Spring Training and an outfielder like Marisnick impresses, we're going to be having some very interesting conversations here.