Building the dream LA Angels Opening Day starting rotation after MLB lockout

The LA Angels' starting rotation is going to be under a VERY bright spotlight this season, whether you like it or not.

Even if you think it's the bullpen that's the real problem with this team, or the lack of production from the shortstop position, the starting rotation is going to be under the biggest magnifying glass for 2022.

The rotation has been in most peoples' eyes the reason the Halos have missed the playoffs for seven straight years, despite having the best player in the world in Mike Trout for each of those years. Even the one year he got hurt, the Halos still had the next-best player in baseball who had the best season in sports history. The rotation was still a liability, and we missed out.

It needs to improve this season, and it has the chance to shape up pretty nicely after this MLB lockout is over. If Perry Minasian can work some magic in free agency and the trade market, our best-case scenario looks dominant.

No. 6 starting pitcher in dream LA Angels Opening Day starting rotation: Jose Suarez

That's correct. If LA Angels General Manager Minasian nails the rest of this offseason, we don't have to start Michael Lorenzen in that sixth spot.

Instead, we can go with Jose Suarez, who's OOZING with potential. And he's ready by the way; trust me. In the last five starts of 2021 for Suarez, he recorded a 2.97 ERA and held batters to just a .202 batting average.

He recorded a complete game in that time with a 3-1 record. Suarez as our SIXTH guy puts us in a great spot.

No. 5 starting pitcher in dream LA Angels Opening Day starting rotation: Patrick Sandoval

Patrick Sandoval is another guy who's already proven that he can be the guy for the LA Angels. Sandoval was really improving and pitching at a high level for the Halos before he went down to injury.

In the 17 appearances he was able to make (14 starts), he recorded a 3.62 ERA and struck out a career-high 9.7 batters per nine innings. Sandoval really found himself in the rotation. He always had talent, and he really put it together in 2021.

He had the best WHIP of his career at 1.207, and he's so much better as a starter. He recorded a 3.39 ERA in the rotation as opposed to a 6.14 ERA in the pen. That 1.500 WHIP shrunk to 1.180 in the rotation.

I'm buying both Suarez and Sandoval's prospects in the 2021 season. Give them a full year with Matt Wise and they're going to keep developing and they're going to do a good job.

These are two great value options as we're not paying them all too much for the time being. It's time to capitalize while three of our starters (these two and Shohei Ohtani) are on our payroll for cheap.

No. 4 starting pitcher in dream LA Angels Opening Day starting rotation: Noah Syndergaard

Noah Syndergaard has the talent to be the No. 1 pitcher in this rotation, and if we're being honest, he's pitched better at certain times in his career than any pitcher the LA Angels can assemble for 2022.

I say this because Syndergaard has the clutch gene. In five postseason appearances (four starts), Syndergaard boasts a 2.42 playoff ERA and a 1.64 (!) playoff FIP. He can shove just like anyone else when he's really on, and he can do it at the highest level.

And yes, the highest. He's pitched in the World Series before. And in the World Series start he got, he took home the W.

And if we end up in a Wild Card game, he'd be quite the option. The last time he played in a Wild Card game he threw SEVEN scoreless innings.

If Thor tosses seven scoreless innings in a Wild Card game on the Angels, it's a wrap. We'll throw Aaron Loup in the eighth inning and close it out with Raisel Iglesias. It's not like we won't be scoring--we have the two best hitters in the game.

No. 3 starting pitcher in dream LA Angels Opening Day starting rotation: Shohei Ohtani

If Shohei Ohtani enters 2022 as the LA Angels' third pitcher in the rotation, you might be able to hand us the AL West crown before we even play the games. Ohtani really proved that he's an Ace last year; earning the status of being the AL All-Star team starting pitcher.

Ohtani is one of the best pitchers in this league, recording a 3.18 ERA last season with a 1.090 WHIP. Sometimes he took velo off his fastball and proved he could finesse hitters, and sometimes he rocked back and blew the ball by the opposition. Overall, he struck out 10.8 per nine innings and only gave up 6.8 hits per nine frames.

He has the best pitch in baseball in his splitter--even better than Iglesias' fastball. The best part about Ohtani is also that he can hit for himself of course, and being the best hitter in baseball, he's literally unstoppable. We can even keep him in the field after his starts on the mound to get more at-bats for him late in ballgames as we did last year.

The true cheat code in baseball is in his prime, and could potentially be even better this season due to Joe Maddon now having the blueprint for how to use him perfectly.

No. 2 starting pitcher in dream LA Angels Opening Day starting rotation: Carlos Rodon

Carlos Rodon has already been linked to the LA Angels this offseason in free agency. If Rodon signs with the Halos, he'll have just as high a ceiling as anyone, other than maybe Syndergaard because Thor has already proven that he can pitch at an elite level in the playoffs. Speaking of the playoffs, though, they suggest that Rodon is healthy.

While Rodon missed a bunch of starts this year, he came back to pitch at the end of the year and in the postseason. He's healthy now, and the Halos need to take advantage of him still being available when this lockout ends. We've spent just over $161 million for the 2022 payroll.

MLB Insider and former GM Jim Bowden suggested that Rodon may only cost about as much as Syndergaard did. That's $21 million for next year, and that would give the Halos opportunity to still fix the bullpen with some more nice additions, and also afford the No. 1 pitcher on this list.

And he'd be worth it too, as the 2021 All-Star also finished fifth in AL Cy Young voting.