The Angels made the biggest move this offseason when they won the sweepstakes for the Japanese phenom, Shohei Otani. He will be in the six-man starting rotation and will be their designated hitter most games. It has been a long time since a starting pitcher could hit as well as Otani. You would probably have to go all the way back to some black-and-white footage.
The Angels have a lot of talent around superstar Mike Trout, but his teammates are getting long in the tooth. Ian Kinsler and Albert Pujols have both seen better days and newly-signed infielder Zack Cozart might end up being a bad signing.
Can the Angels make the postseason in 2018?
Here is the 2018 MLB season preview for the Los Angels Angels.
2017 Win/Loss Record: 80-82
Key Additions: SP/DH Shohei Otani, 3B Zack Cozart, 2B Ian Kinsler, RP Jim Johnson, RP Dayan Diaz, OF Chris Young, RP Felix Pena, C Rene Rivera, OF Jabari Blash, 1B Chris Carter, RP Ian Krol & OF Rymer Liriano,
Key Losses: 3B Yunel Escobar, 1B C.J. Cron, SP Ricky Nolasco, RP Huston Street, RP Yusmeiro Petit, RP Bud Norris, SP Jesse Chavez, OF Ben Revere, SS Cliff Pennington, 2B Brandon Phillips, RP Deolis Guerra, RP Fernando Salas & RP Brooks Pounders
Interleague Schedule: NL West
Projected Starters: Martin Maldonado, Albert Pujols, Ian Kinsler, Zack Cozart, Andrelton Simmons, Justin Upton, Mike Trout, Kole Calhoun & Shohei Otani
Projected Starting Rotation: Garrett Richards, Shohei Otani, Matt Shoemaker, JC Ramirez, Tyler Skaggs & Andrew Heaney
Closer: Blake Parker
Fantasy Sleeper: SP Andrew Heaney – He was once a highly-regarded prospect, but after Tommy John surgery and a shoulder impingement, the luster is off of him. He could be a good player in AL-only and deep mixed leagues. He has strikeout ability, but does have a knack for giving up the long ball. He’s just a guy to be aware of going into the season.
Prospect To Keep Your Eye On: None – The Angels farm system was bone dry until fairly recent. They were able to sign shortstop Kevin Maitan after he was put back on the market after the Atlanta Braves international player scandal. It’s going to be a few years before guys like Maitan, OF Jo Adell or OF Jahmani Jones will see time in the Majors. If you look at the trend the Angeles have been on, none of these players may ever play for the Angeles. Most of their top prospects have been sent to other teams for Major League-ready talent. Mike Trout is really the last homegrown talent the Angeles have had many any impact in the Majors.
Team Analysis: The Angels were without Mike Trout for nearly fifty games last season and they still managed to win 80 games. Even though they knew they were out of the playoff race, they made a smart trade late in the season. They acquired Justin Upton from the Tigers and were able to sign him to an extension.
The Angels also made some moves to acquire Ian Kinsler and sign Zack Cozart and two-way Japanese star Shohei Otani. They desperately need to sign big stars due to the lack of talent in their farm system. Otani was a cherry on the sundae as he can pitch and DH for them. He’s also extremely cheap, so his contract helps balance out the horrible Pujols deal.
The Angels plan to use a six-man rotation to limit some of the workload on their starters. You could also say that they don’t really have five solid starters, so they will need to be a little creative. Their bullpen has some arms and a handful of guys can close out games if Blake Parker struggles. In the long haul, a six-man rotation is probably a smart move.
Every year the Angels have Mike Trout and don’t make the postseason, you should consider it a lost season. He’s arguably the best player in the game and he’s been stuck on an average team the last couple seasons. They will need to splurge just to stay competitive since there is little homegrown talent. This will bite them in the ass eventually as when they finally decide to rebuild, it will take them longer than usual. It’s a decision they can put off at the moment as their Major League roster should battle for the Wild Card in the American League.
2018 Wins Over/Under Betting Line: 85 (Prediction: OVER)
2018 Projected Win/Loss Record: 88-74 (2nd AL West)
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About the Author…
Bobby Roberts (otherwise known as Sweetbob) is the creator of ‘America’s White Boy’ and contributor at Project Shanks. His writing has been featured on ESPN’s ‘SportsNation’, Sports Illustrated’s Hot Clicks, Guyspeed, and various other sites. You can follow him on Twitter at @Sweetbob.