Angels News: LA Times Columnist Provides Current State of The Halos

It's the same old story for the Angels once again

It seems like every season in recent memory will be “the” year that the Los Angeles Angels finally put it all together and really contend. Now, they aren’t a bad team by any means as we head towards the midpoint of the 2023 MLB season but Los Angeles does find themselves sitting outside the playoff race a few days into June.

The Angels are a .500 team with a +2 run differential. They’re 8.5 games out of first place and 4.5 games out of a wild-card spot.

— Bill Shaikin (@BillShaikin) June 3, 2023

Filled with a roster of talent including two of the top players across Major League Baseball in Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout, at some point you’d expect things to get better. However, they haven’t and it’s the same old story for the Halos.

To their credit, they have tried to put talent around their stars but sitting at 30-30 and in fourth place within the AL West, the team will need to decide what direction to take.

To complicate matters is the impending free agency of Ohtani and it’s been rumored for a long time now that he won’t stay with the Angels long-term unless they are contending for titles. The Angels front office have some decisions to make in the next few weeks to months about where they want to go.

Double off the wall for Shohei 🦄@Angels | #GoHalos pic.twitter.com/wyDqtItLZl

— Bally Sports West (@BallySportWest) June 3, 2023

Do they trade Ohtani and get a massive, historic return? Or do they take their chances with trying to persuade him to stay with the team once he reaches free agency?

Only time will tell but one thing is for certain, the Angels need some sort of identity and at least for now, they don’t have one.