5 former Angels players whose spring performances are leaving fans with regret

While the Los Angeles Angels seem to be rounding into shape down at spring training, it is hard to ignore the fact that this offseason has been more about what has been lost. Thanks to some long-built organizational deficiencies and some less than timely injuries, 2023 seems to have marked the end of an era for trying to contend for a World Series title for the Angels.

That is not to say that LA won't be competitive in 2024. In fact, if some of these young guys like Zach Neto and Nolan Schanuel continue to progress, the Angels could make things downright interesting this season, especially in the AL Wild Card race. Still, one has to wonder how some former Angels are doing this spring and how much the team will regret not finding some way to keep them around.

Here are 5 former Angels players that are crushing it this spring

Just to make things interesting, this isn't going to be a list of free agents that left the Angels this offseason because, well, that would be boring at this point. Instead, all of these players were part of the Angels organization at some point and are now showing out down at spring training this year. Some were big names (you can probably guess one of them) while others were seemingly minor losses that look like they could be real contributors for their teams in 2024.

Andrew Heaney

The Angels originally acquired Andrew Heaney in the trade that sent Dan Haren, Dee Gordon, and Miguel Rojas to the Marlins. Over the next six seasons, Heaney never really lived up to his billing as a top 10 draft pick, as he posted a 4.35 ERA in 84 starts with fairly standard strikeout and walk numbers. LA ultimately decided to trade Heaney to the Yankees in 2021, and he bounced around a little bit afterwards before landing with the Rangers.

Heaney's numbers with Texas in 2023 were more of the same we have come to expect, but he is having a pretty nice spring training at the moment. He currently leads Texas' pitchers with 12 strikeouts down at camp, and he has posted a perfectly respectable 3.60 ERA in his three appearances.