5 Angels players who don’t deserve to be on the 40-man roster

Assuming the Los Angeles Angels make moves to address some of the holes this roster has, the 40-man roster will not look the same as it does right now. Players who get added to the active roster would take the place of a member of the 40-man.

There are five players in particular who haven't fully earned a 40-man roster spot. Can that change in Spring Training? Maybe. But if the Angels were to sign a free agent, these players would be on the chopping block.

1) Tucker Davidson is the first player the LA Angels should DFA

Tucker Davidson was the main piece of the Raisel Iglesias trade that sent the closer to Atlanta at the trade deadline. Why the Angels felt they had to just dump that salary for nothing I have no idea, but Davidson had a chance to be a part of the Angels' rotation down the stretch and he failed miserably.

The southpaw went 1-5 with a 6.87 ERA in eight starts for the Angels. He was at one point a well-regarded prospect for the Braves but has a 5.99 ERA in 17 MLB appearances (16 starts). Davidson made one start in 2020 and four in 2021 for Atlanta, he just hasn't shown he belongs quite yet.

Davidson has walked (47) almost as many batters as he's struck out (53) at the big league level. It's possible he shows something in Spring Training but I'll have to see it to believe it. He'll likely have an outside shot at a rotation spot but with the Angels having pitchers like Griffin Canning or even Chase Silseth available, his chances feel slim.

2) Justin Garza is just on the Angels 40-man roster for reliever depth

The Angels signed Justin Garza to a split contract this offseason which essentially means he will make more money for games he pitches in the majors than games he pitches in the minors. He will be on the 40-man roster.

Garza likely had a bunch of suitors and the Angels felt good enough about him and his stuff to guarantee him a spot on the 40-man roster. I don't have a problem with this, but he hasn't really done anything to have earned a spot.

Garza posted a 4.71 ERA in 21 appearances in the 2021 season. He then spent all of 2022 in AAA. He has good stuff and strikes a lot of hitters out (10.5 K/9 in 2022) but his issue has always been a lack of command. He walked 5.7 batters per nine in his big league appearances and has walked 4.1/9 in his MiLB career.

Garza will presumably have a shot at one of the last bullpen spots but as of now, hasn't fully earned the 40-man spot he has.

3) The Angels should have a Matt Thaiss upgrade in mind

Matt Thaiss is a former first-round pick who just hasn't shown much of anything at the big-league level. I get that he hasn't played much, but he'd play more if he produced even a little bit. The Angels were starved for offense for much of the 2022 season and Thaiss still only played in 29 games.

Being able to catch helps Thaiss and his case for being on the 40-man roster, but I'd much rather the Angels sign Gary Sanchez or give Logan O'Hoppe a shot over having Thaiss serve as Max Stassi's backup.

Even in the minors Thaiss hasn't done much to impress. He slashed .268/.365/.451 with 10 home runs and 48 RBI in 77 games. Those numbers certainly aren't bad, but he didn't exactly tear the cover off the ball. The PCL is a league known for offense, and Thaiss was nothing special.

He has an .821 OPS in his six-year MiLB career. Again, not a bad number but not one that'll blow anyone away. Spring Training will be his last shot to show his worth as he's out of options. If he doesn't make the Opening Day roster, he'll be DFA'd.

4) Davis Daniel is behind too many better options on the Angels roster

The Angels have five starters set in stone but the sixth starter spot is wide open. Someone like Tucker Davidson could have an outside shot, but Griffin Canning and Chase Silseth are probably the favorites heading into Spring Training. The Angels could (and should) of course just sign a free agent to take that sixth starter spot.

The Angels also have pitchers like Chris Rodriguez and Kenny Rosenberg who won't be on the Opening Day roster but could be ahead of Davis Daniel on the 40-man roster.

I'm surprised Daniel has lasted as long as he has on the 40-man, but if the Angels sign another player he could be the pitcher on the chopping block. There's a very good chance he clears waivers and then there's no harm no foul there.

Daniel is 25 and hasn't appeared in a big league game yet and had a 4.19 ERA in 21 starts in AAA. He's on the 40-man roster solely as starting pitching depth, but the Angels have plenty of better options.