Angels' impressive offseason has flown under the radar
Angels in the outfield might prove to be true heading into next season.
Coming off a 74-88 season - their lowest win total since 1999 when the club was in Anaheim - the Los Angeles Angels have quietly flown under the radar this offseason.
Possessing MLB's best player in Mike Trout certainly helps with optimism, but the organization playing to its worst record since 1999 meant the front office had to make changes. The latest reported addition - third baseman Luis Valbuena - is only one of the many made by general manager Billy Eppler that could go a long way in improving the club next season and beyond.
Here's a look at how the Angels' impressive offseason should lead to better results in 2017:
New additions: 3B Valbuena (free agent), 2B Danny Espinosa (trade with Washington), OF Ben Revere (free agent), C Martin Maldonado (trade with Milwaukee), OF Cameron Maybin (trade with Detroit), RHP Jesse Chavez (free agent).
| Player | Position | Projected WAR |
|---|---|---|
| Luis Valbuena | 3B | 0.5 |
| Martin Maldonado | C | 1.2 |
| Danny Espinosa | 2B | 1.1 |
| Cameron Maybin | OF | 0.8 |
| Ben Revere | OF | 0.1 |
| Jesse Chavez | P | 1.1 |
(Projections courtesy: FanGraphs)
Improved roster depth
FanGraphs predicting the Angels will go from 74 wins in 2016 to 84 next season is noteworthy. The club's outfield should improve with the additions of Maybin and Revere, who join Kole Calhoun and Trout, two of the team's most important players.
Although Revere is coming off an injury-plagued campaign, he should bounce back and provide speed on the basepaths. Maybin, meanwhile, is a significant upgrade for the Angels outfield in comparison to Rafael Ortega, who appeared in 66 games hitting a measly .232/.283/.292.
At second base and catcher, the team also made a pair of underrated additions, trading for Espinosa to take over for Johnny Giavotella at second. In terms of defense, the Angels improved drastically as Espinosa has contributed 18 defensive runs saved at second and shortstop since 2015, while Giavotella has surrendered minus-13. At catcher, Maldonado has never posted minus-defensive runs saved for his career (22 since 2012) and in limited innings, threw out 20 baserunners (40 percent) - 11th best in baseball.
Taking into consideration the Angels ranked fifth in the league in defensive runs saved last season with 31, these savvy additions should help maintain that, or possibly improve on it.
Addition by subtraction
It goes without saying that the Angels' rotation was bit by the injury bug last season as Matt Shoemaker, Garrett Richards, and Tyler Skaggs - three of the team's best starters - missed significant time due to injury. All are expected to be healthy and ready for spring training.
A few departures should benefit the team, beginning with Jered Weaver whose regression on the mound became inherently clear in 2016. Weaver's 5.62 FIP and 37 home runs allowed were second worst in the majors.
The team's decision to replace Weaver with Chavez should be viewed as positive, as Chavez has a 3.83 ERA and 3.87 FIP throughout his career as a starter. FanGraphs projects Chavez to produce 1.1 WAR in 2017 compared to Weaver's 0.2.
Additionally, one of the front office's best moves was trading Hector Santiago to the Minnesota Twins for Ricky Nolasco and Alex Meyer. The 29-year-old Santiago posted the league's third worst FIP (5.31), right behind Weaver, and issued 33 home runs. Erasing a combined 69 home runs allowed, and the Angels could fare better in 2017.
The big fly
One area where the team struggled last season was in the power department, hitting 156 home runs - the majors' fifth-lowest total. With the reported Valbuena signing as well as the offense provided by Espinosa, the Angels could see power numbers increased.
Throughout their careers, Valbuena and Espinosa have averaged 17 and 19 home runs, respectively, infusing more power into a lineup that includes Albert Pujols, Trout, and Calhoun. Despite Trout's remarkable MVP season, the talented 25-year-old has seen his power numbers dip from 36, to 41, and then to 29 last season. That total could increase since he averages 34 on a 162 game median.
First baseman C.J. Cron was on pace to hit 24 home runs before an injury last year caused him to miss most of July and August, and promising youngster Jeffry Marte showed some power with 15 home runs in only 88 games. If you factor in these statistics on a team with better hitters in the lineup next season, their power numbers could surge in 2017.