LA Angels can reportedly still train in Arizona despite MLB lockout
The LA Angels are currently locked out of MLB right now, and the lockout doesn't seem to be coming to an end. Players can't work out with the coaches at team events, unless they are on Minor League deals. With the deadline for missed games being Monday, it looks like it's time to panic, correct?
Well, yes and no. While games being missed seem to be what's in store for the season, FanSided's MLB Insider Robert Murray revealed that Angels players can still get work in for the meantime:
This is of course even without spring training even taking place, if that happens. This is going to be very important for many Angels players, as many will be strongly affected by the lockout. Now that players can still work out, that may not be the case, or at least not to the same extent.
The LA Angels will handle much of the blow that comes with the lockout if they take these opportunities seriously.
Sure, it's not the most convenient situation for the LA Angels to have to come to Arizona for this, but they were set to come to Arizona for spring training anyway. It's also been reported that something like this is in the works in Florida, too. Therefore, there should be enough room for whichever players want to work out in Arizona.
If the Halos potentially come into the season cold with no offseason workouts like this, the defense is going to start off shaky. Injuries would pop up consistently, and for the Angels specifically, their pitching staff could really blow the season for the club. This is because the Angels' staff is already the weakest link of the team, and they have many key pitchers coming off of injuries right now, and a lockout is the last thing players going through injury recovery need.
That's why there could also be cause for concern with Anthony Rendon and Mike Trout, who are coming off of season-ending injuries in 2021. Going back to pitching, two of the Angels' starters are two-way players in Shohei Ohtani and Michael Lorenzen. Going through their normal routine in the offseason is ever so important for two-way guys who are about to take on a strong workload. This facility could be a game-changer for their offseasons.
The Angels need to take advantage of this new development, and get out to Arizona and get their work in if they have no other way to do it. Arte Moreno needs to do what he can to expedite this lockout's finish, so that the Halos can get back to baseball and ready to build on their injury-ravaged 2021 campaign and finally play some postseason games.