The Los Angeles Angels Christmas Wish List For Santa
Tis the season for the Los Angeles Angels to contend in the AL West. While the Angels are being budget-friendly right now, the fans have a wishlist of players.
The Los Angeles Angels are getting set for Winter Meetings on December 8th. As of now, it’s unclear if the Angels will engage in any trade talks or blockbuster signings. Thus far, the Angels have remained smart and budget-friendly with their offseason acquisitions.
The Angels have made 3 notable signings as of now. Acquiring outfielder Cameron Maybin, pitcher Jesse Chavez, and Infielder Nolan Fontana are the biggest moves the Angels have made thus far. While this isn’t the jaw-dropping, over aggressive moves some fans were expecting, you have to praise the efforts.
The Angels seem to be content with patching the holes that are within the ship. The ship that is sinking the Angels to the bottom of the AL West. Currently, the Los Angeles Angels believe they will contend next season. Although they still have many needs, the fans are hopeful that magic is being worked by GM Billy Eppler.
The Angels are less than three months away from pitchers and catchers reporting to Tempe Arizona for Spring Training. The Cactus League will give us a good look at the new players as well as the prospects that have made the 40-man roster.
Until then; however, the Angels are still tweaking the roster and getting ready for 2017. They have some serious needs in order to contend. They also have some optional wants that may happen in the near future. The Angels have three things on their list to Santa.
May 1, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Garrett Richards (43) throws during the first inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
1. Another Ace Pitcher On The Mound.
In 2016, the Angels saw an epidemic with a rash of injuries to the pitching staff. Currently, Andrew Heaney and Nick Tropeano are likely to miss all of 2017. Tropeano underwent Tommy John surgery in August. Heaney had his Tommy John surgery in June.
Currently, the saving grace within the rotation is that Garrett Richards has made a full recovery from having stem-cell injections. Richards is expected to be the Opening Day starter if he doesn’t have any setbacks during Spring Training.
There’s also a rumor going around that the Los Angeles Angels are actively shopping both Tyler Skaggs and Matt Shoemaker via realgm.com. Basically, the belief is that GM Billy Eppler would consider a trade if a certain second baseman became available.
The Angels are going to try to incorporate J.C. Ramirez into the starting rotation. They also signed Jesse Chavez in hopes he’ll perform well as a starter. However, the Angels need another great pitcher on the mound.
The Angels are amazingly thin in the rotation. If Eppler trades either Skaggs and Shoemaker, the rotation will rely heavily on Chavez who’s only started two seasons of his MLB career.
Aug 24, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Los Angeles Angels second baseman Cliff Pennington (7) throws to first base against the Toronto Blue Jays in the fifth inning at Rogers Centre. Los Angeles Angels won 8-2. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Sousa-USA TODAY Sports
2. An Everyday Second Baseman.
Angels general manager Billy Eppler is seeking a second baseman. More specifically, Eppler wants a left-handed hitter or a switch hitter for the second base spot. The second baseman has seen a few players try to handle the position. The most successful player of the season was Jefry Marte.
Marte played sparingly last season, compiling a 1.5 WAR in 88 games and only starting close to 70. There’s a lot of upside to Marte, he could become the everyday starter that Eppler is looking for. However, it sounds as if Eppler has someone else in mind.
If the Los Angeles Angels make a trade for a second baseman during the Winter Meetings, it will be interesting to see what the offer in the deal. It almost sounds as if Eppler is Lord Voldemort searching for the Elder Wand. As a result, he’s likely to give away too much in return for a left-handed second baseman.
Sep 30, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Detroit Tigers center fielder Cameron Maybin (4) reacts after being hit by a pitch against the Atlanta Braves in the sixth inning at Turner Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
3. An Angel In The Outfield
The Angels pounced on Cameron Maybin early this offseason. They did so in an effort to fix the hole at left field. Although Maybin predominantly plays the center field position, he is willing to go left.
What’s problematic here is Maybin is somewhat injury prone. In fact, Maybin only played 94 games last season. However, Maybin will be an improvement for the God-awful platooning system in which Daniel Nava and Craig Gentry rotated in that position.
Honestly, Maybin is a short-term fix to an otherwise long-term problem. I don’t anticipate him finishing the season without some small injury of some kind. However, it’s good that Eppler made a move to bring someone in.
While the Angels may not get everything they want for Christmas, they will be somewhat improved next season. They have to stay away from injuries and have huge games from unlikely players. The Winter Meetings are December 8th, Halo Hangout will have the latest.
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