Angels news: Analytics, Mark Gubicza, more

Mark Gubicza spoke on MLB Network along with other AL West broadcasters (minus Oakland) and had a lot to say about the Angels offseason.

He believes the Halos have done a nice job making ground against the Astros. Nobody expects the Angels (or any team) to pass them, but they should be more competitive against the defending champs than they have been in quite some time.

Gubicza likes the moves they've made, adding Tyler Anderson and bringing in a whole lot of depth. He cites the Angels getting off to such a good start and then having to rely on non-major league hitters to play every day. That's what ended their season. He expects them to continue to add, but likes the direction they're headed in.

More Angels news:

Our own Jacob Cisneros had the honor of speaking to a new hire to the Angels analytics department Austin Marchesani. He's joining the Halos as a pitching analyst after graduating from the University of Iowa.

The Angels are an organization that has lagged behind in analytics and Marchesani should help them get on the right track. Analytics are where this game is headed and the department needs to be beefed up. There are a lot of interesting snippets and quotes in the piece, I recommend reading it here.

In other news, former Angel Steve Cishek announced his retirement. Cishek had a 3.42 ERA in 74 appearances for the Halos in 2021. He pitched much better than I expected after they signed him. Best of luck in retirement, Steve!

MLB news:

The Diamondbacks signed Evan Longoria to a one-year deal. The Diamondbacks are a young team on the rise and an established veteran like Longoria should help them a lot. He's regressed on the field but should be a big presence in that clubhouse.