Jacob deGrom and 3 more new rivals who will be pains in the AL West

The American League West got a lot tougher this offseason. Four teams are trying to compete which is something no other division can say. One of those teams was even worse than the Los Angeles Angels were last season.

One of the best players the Angels will have to deal with is Jacob deGrom. Health is a concern, but deGrom will show Angels fans and fans of teams in the AL West just how good he is if he can stay on the field. He signed a big five-year contract so he will haunt the Halos for a while.

What about those other pains entering the division? They may not be superstars, but we can already prepare ourselves for some aggravation when dealing with them.

1) Jose Abreu joining that Astros lineup is just unfair to the LA Angels

The Astros had one of, if not the best lineups in baseball in 2022. They just won the World Series and added a former MVP in Jose Abreu. I know that was the shortened season and that Abreu took a step back in 2022 but having a guy of his caliber hitting sixth is frightening.

Abreu replaces Yuli Gurriel as the Astros first baseman which is a massive upgrade. Their projected lineup from one through seven is capable of making it to the all-star team.

The Angels have virtually no shot at winning the division over the Astros but if they want to make the postseason and make some noise they're going to have to play Houston much better than they have in recent years. Adding a player like Jose Abreu isn't going to help them do that.

Hopefully the Angels get off to a good start before they have to face Abreu and the Astros in May.

2) Nathan Eovaldi might show LA Angels fans why the club should have signed him

The Angels were reportedly in on Nathan Eovaldi. What their offers were to this talented right-hander are not known, but the Angels did have some level of interest.

Eovaldi ended up signing a deal with the division rival Rangers in a rotation full of upside but also injury-prone hurlers. If those pitchers can stay healthy, the Angels might be the fourth-best team in the division. If not, they're not a threat.

Eovaldi is a pitcher I did not think the Angels should have pursued because of his injury history but that does not mean I'm excited about him going to a division rival. If he's healthy, I believe he's a good pitcher and you just know he's going to pitch well against the team that was rumored to be in on him all offseason long.

The Rangers' pitching staff can be a very annoying one for the Angels to deal with as they have deGrom at the top, Eovaldi right behind him, and former Angel Andrew Heaney, another guy destined to pitch well against his old club, rounding out the staff.