MESA, Ariz. — The Angels packed up this week from just the kind of spring training that a general manager enjoys.
An uneventful one.
With many of the regulars having left for Southern California a day earlier to prepare for the Freeway Series, which begins Sunday at Dodger Stadium, the Angels prepared for their final game in Arizona on Saturday. It was the culmination of 39 days with plenty of good vibes under new manager Ron Washington and little news.
The most significant injury was right-hander Robert Stephenson’s shoulder inflammation. Stephenson will begin the season on the injured list, but there’s no timetable beyond that.
The biggest headlines belonged to Anthony Rendon, who in the first days of camp said he puts his family as a higher priority than baseball. That shouldn’t have caused the reaction that it did, but Rendon has become a lightning rod for criticism because of his injuries and his public image.
There are still a few roster decisions to be made during the Freeway Series, most notably if Miguel Sanó will make the team and if José Soriano will be a starter in the minors or a reliever in the majors.
While we wait on those final items, let’s look back at what we learned regarding the five spring training questions we identified when camp opened.
What does Arte Moreno have to say?
Moreno spoke to the Southern California News Group early in camp and clarified the biggest question facing the organization, although perhaps not to the liking of many frustrated fans.
Moreno, who in early 2023 pulled the team off the market, said he’s planning to stick around “for the long term,” with no plans to sell the team.
Moreno also explained that it was the plan to reduce the payroll from 2023. He said they wouldn’t “spend money just to show that we’re going to spend money unless it’s going to substantially change the team.”
The Angels talked to free agents Blake Snell and J.D. Martinez, but ultimately each signed elsewhere.
Read the full article here
