TEMPE, Ariz. — After years of disappointment with the failure to meet high expectations that came from having two generational players on their roster, the Angels no longer have that “burden.”
Two-way megastar Shohei Ohtani is gone, having left for the Dodgers, and the Angels did nothing to replace him, either in the starting rotation or in the lineup. Center fielder Mike Trout is coming off his third straight injury-interrupted season.
It’s safe to say that no one who doesn’t draw a salary from the Angels has any high expectations for this team heading into Wednesday’s first workout of spring training.
Baseball Prospectus projects the Angels for 74 victories, with a 2.6% chance to make the playoffs. The major Las Vegas sports books set their over-under at 71.5. The fewest games they’ve won in any full season this century is 72, in 2019.
The Angels are a comfortable pick for fourth place in the American League West, well behind the defending world champion Texas Rangers, the Houston Astros and the Seattle Mariners, and ahead of the rebuilding Oakland A’s.
The Angels haven’t had a winning season since 2015, and they haven’t made the playoffs since 2014. The latter is tied with the Detroit Tigers for the longest active drought in the majors.
Cynical fans would say the Angels willingly put themselves into this position by doing little this winter besides retooling the bullpen.
General Manager Perry Minasian, who is in the final year of his four-year contract, made only one noteworthy trade, and it was a financial transaction. They unloaded $14 million worth of unnecessary 2024 salary – to infielder David Fletcher and catcher Max Stassi – for $7 million to first baseman Evan White, who was removed from the 40-man roster.
Minasian signed major league free agents to deals totaling $52.3 million, including just $30.3 million worth of 2024 obligations.
According to FanGraphs, the Angels are opening the season with a payroll, for purposes…
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