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New York Times
12-03-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Angels roster projection 2.0: Who is Los Angeles' fifth starting pitcher?
While the Los Angeles Angels are optimistic about an improvement from last season, they've seemingly avoided being too boastful about their chances to make a postseason run. 'With the talent (our young players) have, I think the sky's the limit,' Angels general manager Perry Minasian told reporters in Tempe, Ariz. 'So, does that happen this year? Does that happen next year? I don't know. Everybody has different time frames on different things.' Advertisement Regardless of whether the Angels end their MLB-long 10-year postseason drought or nine-season winning record drought, it's clear that they believe they're headed in the right direction. And it's also clear that a significant improvement on their 63-99 record will be critical in showcasing that. There will likely be many players who put on an Angels uniform this season. Such is the nature of the organization and the sport as a whole. But who they choose to start with could be reflective of what they'll prioritize this season and who they think is most ready to make the next step. Might second baseman Christian Moore start in the big leagues? Will pitcher Ryan Johnson skip the minor leagues entirely? Is Reid Detmers still a priority for this organization? Is Tim Anderson still a big-league caliber player? All questions will be answered in the next two weeks. But for now, let's speculate on what this team might do. On roster: Yusei Kikuchi, José Soriano, Tyler Anderson, Kyle Hendricks, Reid Detmers In the mix: Jack Kochanowicz, Chase Silseth, Ryan Johnson Who will be the No. 5 starter? This is the competition of camp. Who wins the No. 5 spot? The top two competitors, Detmers and Kochanowicz, have pitched quite well. Kochanowicz has allowed just one run in nine innings. Detmers has given up three runs in 10 innings. While the better option right now might be Kochanowicz, the pick here is still Detmers. The Angels have invested so much into Detmers, and the fact that his spring has been encouraging is too enticing a scenario to pass up. If he can finally put it together, it would be massive for the organization. It's hard to envision the Angels passing up on him, even with how much they value Kochanowicz, who can still make the roster in the bullpen. There's also Silseth, who has had a better big league run than anyone but hasn't been as effective so far this spring. Advertisement The Angels had 18 pitchers start a game in 2024. So it stands to reason that everyone will get their shot. It just makes sense that it's Detmers first. On roster: Kenley Jansen, Ben Joyce, Brock Burke, Ryan Zeferjahn, Kochanowicz, José Suarez, José Quijada, Garrett McDaniels In the mix: Silseth, Michael Petersen, Hans Crouse, Johnson Does the Rule-5 pick make the team? There are effectively six bullpen spots sewn up. Jansen, Joyce, Burke, Zeferjahn, Suarez and Quijada. That leaves a couple of openings for the team to tinker with. The Angels will have to decide how much they value Garrett McDaniels, who has impressed during his spring outings. He's a Rule-5 pick, so he'll be returned to the Dodgers if he isn't on the roster. Given how he's pitched, it stands to reason he'll at least get a look in Anaheim. Kochanowicz is the other choice. The Angels let Soriano pitch in a multi-inning relief role last year before a spot opened up. It makes sense they'll do the same thing this season with Kochanowicz if he isn't in the rotation. The big wild card here is Johnson, whom the Angels love and who has had a great spring. Could he sneak in? Probably not. But there's a reason he's still in camp when many of the young pitchers were sent down. On roster: Logan O'Hoppe, Travis d'Arnaud In the mix: Chuckie Robinson Not much of a competition here. Assuming everyone is healthy, it will be O'Hoppe and d'Arnaud with the team to start the season. On roster: Nolan Schanuel, Tim Anderson, Kyren Paris, Ryan Noda, Yoán Moncada, Kevin Newman In the mix: Christian Moore, Scott Kingery, J.D. Davis Does Moore make his MLB debut on Opening Day? This is where things get tricky. Luis Rengifo is not listed here because it seems quite possible that he'll start the season on the IL. He missed time with an illness and now has been out with a hamstring injury. While it remains possible that he's with the club to start the year, it also might not be prudent to rush him. Shortstop Zach Neto will likely miss at least the first few weeks of the season, too. Advertisement So, where does that leave the Angels? Schanuel, Moncada and Newman will be on the team. But who else? Kyren Paris has been excellent this spring, so we'll go with him over Christian Moore for a couple of reasons. When the Angels bring up Moore, it should be with the intention of him staying. Given that his placement might be temporary as Rengifo and Neto recover, it makes more sense to avoid an immediate Moore call-up. Noda makes the roster as a backup first baseman, given that he also provides left-handed power and has a solid big league track record. Another interesting competition will be between Kingery and Tim Anderson. Kingery is on the 40-man roster, but any semblance of Anderson returning to his old form can't be ignored. On roster: Mike Trout, Jo Adell, Mickey Moniak, Jorge Soler, Taylor Ward In the mix: Matthew Lugo There's not much competition here, which is similar to the case at catcher. Assuming everyone is healthy, these will be the five players who crack the roster. Don't sleep on Lugo, however. He'll be with the team at some point this season. It remains to be seen how the Angels break down center field with Moniak and Adell and just how often Soler is asked to play defense. But as for who makes it, well, they all should. (Photo of Reid Detmers: Jayne Kamin-Oncea / Getty Images)
New York Times
11-02-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Angels camp preview: Key dates, position battles and 3 questions to answer
When the Angels head to Tempe, Ariz., to begin spring training this week, they'll be going to a newly renovated facility. The organization said it's expected to complete a hitting lab and pitching lab, and completely re-do the outdated facilities that have been their home the last few years. The team itself will look somewhat different as well. While it was far from a complete makeover, the Angels added some important players (Yusei Kikuchi, Jorge Soler, Travis d'Arnaud, Kyle Hendricks, Yoan Moncada), and shipped some others away (Griffin Canning, Patrick Sandoval, Brandon Drury, Matt Thaiss). Advertisement All of it is in the service of improving on a franchise-worst 99-loss season, one that deteriorated in the final two months and was punctuated by a series sweep at the hands of the White Sox, who would still go on to have the worst record in MLB history. The good news for this team is that none of the losses carry over to this season. Spring training begins a new chance to end an MLB-long 10-year playoff drought. And as such, here are some of the most important questions facing the club over the next six weeks. Fifth rotation spot: Reid Detmers, Jack Kochanowicz, Chase Silseth, Sam Aldegheri, Sam Bachman, Caden Dana. Backup infielder: Christian Moore, Tim Anderson (non-roster), J.D. Davis (non-roster), Kyren Paris Bullpen spot(s): Kelvin Caceres, Hans Crouse, Bachman, Garrett McDaniels, Connor Brogdon (non-roster), Victor Gonzalez (non-roster), Garrett McDaniels* *Rule 5 draft pick from the Dodgers, will have to be returned if not on the active roster all season. This is a question with massive implications for the Angels on many levels. For one, the front office and team ownership are committed to contending this season, for better or worse, and Trout's good health is likely a prerequisite for that happening. Secondly, Trout is under contract for six more seasons. Another lost year, and his $35 million earned annually could become incredibly precarious for a franchise that has shied away from spending on bigger free-agent contracts in recent years. The Angels need Trout, not only for this year, but for their ability to compete long-term. He probably won't be peak MVP Trout ever again — such is the case when players hit their mid-30s. But they need him to play at least 130-140 games, limit his strikeouts, and be an .850-.950 OPS type of guy. The organizational depth in the outfield is also an issue. Any injury to Trout would likely force Jo Adell and Mickey Moniak into everyday roles. Both have improved in their time with the Angels, but Moniak was worth minus-0.1 WAR last year, with Adell at 0.9. Will there be enough improvement to help keep the Angels afloat? Will they be able to stay healthy themselves? Keeping Trout on the field and hitting well is effectively a necessity. Advertisement Detmers is a critical player for the Angels. He was terrible last season, posting a 6.70 ERA in 17 starts, with a 5.54 ERA in 14 Triple-A starts. But he's important because he was a No. 10 overall pick just five years ago. He's thrown a big-league no-hitter, and he's got all the potential in the world. But what does that mean for the Angels, who clearly have lost some faith in his abilities? Or, at the very least, have decided they can't afford to let him struggle at the highest level much longer. Does Detmers still have the inside edge on earning a rotation spot to break camp? Or will Jack Kochanowicz, who was superb in his final nine starts of last season, be a better option? Then there's a whole host of wild card options, including Chase Silseth, who himself has proven he can get big-league hitters out. This is not to say the Angels have a stacked rotation, but how they work through the No. 5 starter question will be an indicator of how they value Detmers and others, and establish the pecking order of their young starting pitchers. In a perfect world, the Angels would run out a starting infield of Zach Neto, Nolan Schanuel and Moore for years to come. The first-round draft picks for the last three years will get better, and they'll be the nucleus of the next really good team in Anaheim. That's much easier said than done. There doesn't appear to be a clear starting spot for Moore, after the team signed Moncada to play third base. That effectively pushes Luis Rengifo to second base. The main wild card would be Neto, who might start this season on the IL. If that's the case, Moore's odds of making the team go up. But will he be an everyday player? Is he ready for a call-up? These are questions the Angels will have to grapple with as they evaluate him in Tempe this spring. Pitchers and catchers report: Feb. 12 First spring game: Feb. 22 vs. Seattle Opening day: March 27 at White Sox (Top photo of Trout: Stacy Revere / Getty Images)
