TEMPE, Ariz. — The Angels’ No. 1 strategy for their offseason could be summed up in two of their acquisitions: Gio Urshela and Brandon Drury.
The Angels’ problems in 2022 were mostly related to a lack of offense, which occurred because too many of their frontline players got hurt and the Angels had insufficient replacements for them.
Urshela and Drury are a couple of veteran big leaguers who produced at the plate last season and, perhaps most importantly, can each play multiple positions. The Angels believe both players can play all four infield spots plus the outfield corners.
Combined with David Fletcher and Luis Rengifo, Urshela and Drury now give the Angels four players who can play just about anywhere on the diamond.
“I think you always worry and you’re trying to always prepare for the worst,” General Manager Perry Minasian said. “I do believe we went into the offseason with a plan. We wanted to improve the middle of the roster. That was the focus. Get deeper. Be more versatile. Be able to withstand an injury or two. I think some of the players we acquired filled those needs. But we’re going to find out. We’ll see when we start playing and how everything goes.”
They’ll get started with the first workout of the spring for pitchers and catchers on Wednesday. The full squad will have its first workout next Monday (Feb. 20).
Improved depth is the biggest reason the Angels believe this season will finally end their eight-year playoff drought, which is tied with the Detroit Tigers for the longest current streak in the majors.
Aside from adding Urshela and Drury to the position player group, the Angels traded for right fielder Hunter Renfroe. The Angels’ production in left field last year was among the worst in the majors, so putting Renfroe into right and moving Taylor Ward to left fills that void.
On the mound, the Angels signed All-Star lefty Tyler Anderson, who had been with the Dodgers, and reliever Carlos Estevez, from the Colorado…
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