Angels make first round of Spring Training roster cuts

Over the course of Spring Training, there will be several series of roster cuts that shave down the roster. The Angels had over 60 players in camp to start the spring, and after the first set of cuts, they're below that number now.

The Angels had more players than usual because of the WBC, but with two and a half weeks to go until Opening Day, trimming the roster a bit makes sense.

Let's look at who was part of the first roster cuts.

Angels make first set of Spring Training roster cuts

The most notable names are those who were optioned to minor league camp. Those players were Justin Garza, Kolton Ingram, Jose Soriano, and Michael Stefanic. Those are players who are on the 40-man roster but will not begin the season on the Angels Opening Day roster.

None of these moves are particularly surprising as none of these players appeared to have much of a shot at an Opening Day roster spot. While that's the case, Kolton Ingram did open some eyes with an impressive spring. The southpaw had four scoreless outings in which he struck out six batters and allowed just three base runners.

Ingram could be an option for the Angels later this season out of the bullpen, same with someone like Justin Garza. Michael Stefanic we saw last season, but he's behind so many infielders he won't get his shot without a bevy of injuries.

Players reassigned to minor league camps are those who are not on the 40-man roster but were at big league Spring Training. None of these players had a shot at an Opening Day roster spot, but Luke Murphy looked quite good out of the bullpen and could be yet another arm we see at some point this season.

None of these moves were particularly surprising, and they'll allow the players still in camp to get more reps and show their worth.