While much of the talk of this MLB offseason has surrounded the Yankees, Marlins, and Cardinals, what has seemingly gone unnoticed is how much better the Los Angeles Angels have improved for 2018 and beyond. Here is a quick recap of December’s top deals for the Angels:
12/9/17 Signed RHP Shohei Ohtani to a minor league contract.
12/13/17 Traded OF Troy Montgomery and RHP Wilkel Hernandez to the Tigers for 2B Ian Kinsler.
12/15/17 Signed SS Zack Cozart.
12/16/17 Signed SS Livan Soto to a minor league contract.
12/16/17 Signed SS Kevin Maitan to a minor league contract.
Ohtani is obviously the biggest get. He was arguably the top target of this offseason across the MLB and the Angels landed him. The revelation last week that he has a low-grade UCL injury is something to keep an eye on, but all indications are that Ohtani should be an All-Star before we know it. The biggest question is whether the Angels allow him to pitch in addition to being a position player and/or DH. Letting him pitch, and because of that the UCL injury turning into something that requires Tommy John, which it often does, is a big risk as this would cause the team to lose him both on the mound and at the plate. Keep an eye on this as spring training draws closer.
Now for the under the radar part. The additions of Ian Kinsler and Zack Cozart are major plusses to the middle of the Angel infield. Although Kinsler struggled last year, slashing .236/.313/.412, the worst numbers of his 12-year career, he is a career 55 WAR and if he can bounce back he is a huge upgrade over Danny Espinosa and Cliff Pennington.
Former Red Zach Cozart will very much help the team improve at SS. The 7-year pro has some pop in his bat, hitting 24 home runs last year, to go along with a solid .297/.385/.548 line. This was the best season of his career and it appears he is now hitting his prime. Cozart will be replacing Andrelton Simmons who batted .278/.331/.421 with only 14 dingers.
All of a sudden the Angels go from a very mediocre at best middle-infield to one of the stronger ones in the American League assuming Kinsler can find his stroke again.
And not only did the Angles get better next year, the signings of Livan Soto and Kevin Maitan will add two very strong pieces to one of the worst farm systems in baseball. Soto and Maitan were two of the top prospects lost by the Braves in their international signing violations sanctions last month. In fact, Maitan was the #1 international prospect in 2016. While both struggled in rookie ball in the Gulf Coast League, they are each only 17 years old and 5 years from now could be making a splash in the Major Leagues.
Is this enough to take down the Houston Astros in the West? No way. But maybe it’s enough to sneak into a Wild Card game in 2018.
