Here are some of the key questions the Angels hope to answer during spring training:
What does Arte Moreno have to say?
The Angels owner traditionally spoke to reporters on a wide range of topics near the beginning of spring training each year. Moreno abandoned that practice in 2021 and 2022, but he again answered questions in 2023.
Now, there are a handful of pressing issues that fans would like to see him address, starting with whether he has plans to revisit the sale of the team after taking it off the market a year ago.
Moreno can also speak to the way the Angels handled the Shohei Ohtani talks over the winter, and what he intends to do to help the team win now that Ohtani is gone.
How are Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon doing?
Rendon has missed at least half of the season for three years in a row, and Trout has missed significant time in each of those years too.
How they look and feel in spring training won’t be entirely revealing – after all, most players show up in “the best shape of their lives” – but there could be something to make of what they did over the winter and what they say about their efforts to prevent further injuries.
How will the outfield shake out?
Nothing is certain other than Trout being the center fielder, and even that has some questions because of his injuries. He hasn’t played more than 125 games in the outfield since 2016.
Otherwise, the Angels have Taylor Ward, Mickey Moniak, Aaron Hicks and Jo Adell all vying for playing time. Certainly, the playing time and roles will evolve throughout the season, but the performances of all of those players in spring training will establish their roles out of the gate.
Moniak and Adell are both out of options, which could complicate things.
If more than three of those players are hitting well enough to be in the lineup at the same time, the Angels do have the DH spot to use for one of them.
Will Ward return to form?
Ward deserves a question of his own, within the previous one,…
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