Angels Rumors: Halos Ranked Among Worst-Positioned Teams for 2024, According to Insider
The 2023 season was a very frustrating one for the Los Angeles Angels. At one point they looked like they could finally break their long playoff drought, but a combination of poor play and inconsistencies doomed them.
In just a few weeks, their feel-good story came to a halt, and the Angels fell way down in the standings. Now as they enter into the offseason, they have a similar feeling, but they also have the reality that when next season starts, two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani may not be on the team.
MLB insider Jim Bowden of The Athletic ranked each team that missed the postseason, and the Halos ended up near the bottom of the list.
“The Angels do have some positives they can take from 2024, including the flashes of excellence from rookies Nolan Schanuel, Zach Neto and Logan O’Hoppe. They still have one of the game’s best players, Mike Trout, if they can ever keep him healthy. However, this is a team loaded with below-average major leaguers and a farm system that ranks as one of the worst in baseball. The Angels don’t have much to trade and still have a lot of bad money on their books, including Anthony Rendon’s contract, which has three years and more than $115 million remaining.”
Per Jim Bowden of The Athletic
The Angels did find some nice young players in 2023, but their immediate future does look bleak. They may be able to get them more playing time next season, but that doesn’t always translate to winning baseball.
This team needs to invest in more scouting, so they can develop more talent down the line. It will be the difference between them finding success this decade, and them staying in the land of mediocrity that they’ve lived in for years.
This team has the ability to be one of the biggest destination spots across baseball, but things need to change in how they run their organization. Owner Arte Moreno seems to be one of the consistent problems over the years, and if he does remain owner, something needs to change in how he conducts business.
He has shown a willingness to spend on big-time free agents, but the moves that the Angels have made haven’t panned out. It’s not that they don’t do anything, it’s the ones that they are making just are not working.
Hopefully, this is the offseason where the Angels take a hard look at things and make the change. The fans deserve better, and this team needs to find some way to get back into contention going forward.