The AngelsThe team was awash with questions as it entered the offseason regarding its roster. The team was confident that all of the listed players could help the Angels make it back to the playoffs in 2022.
It was a massive miscalculation as the Angels went to 73-89 and were out the contention before the All Star break. That’s all despite a 27-17 start to the year.
The front office will now need to assess the free agent market and trade market. The front office must then determine whether or not the current roster should be re-evaluated and in which role.
Here’s a breakdown of and projection for every player on the roster, and where they might stand.
To return to an obvious position (barring a trading)
Mike Trout: Centre fielder
Mike TroutThrough the end of the decade, the Angels and Trout were married at a high price. Trout was a great player for the Angels. He hit 40 home runs and had a.999 OPS. The back injury he sustained in July left Trout out of nearly 30 games. It is concerning and should be taken into consideration moving forward. A potentially important number to take into consideration? Trout has a 44.7 percent fly ball rate. That’s more than 13 percent higher than his career average, and can be an indicator of a shifting offensive approach.
Shohei Ohtani: Two-way player
There’s certainly an obvious role for Shohei OhtaniThe Angels. The question is whether it benefits the Angels to keep him if he’s unsure (at best) about signing a long-term extension with the organization. He will likely be the Opening Day starter in 2023, and he’ll probably hit in the top three of the order, unless the Angels sell him.
