Los Angeles Angels’ Roadmap to Rebuilding in a Post-Shohei Ohtani Era

The “sad-sack” Los Angeles Angels have to get the ball rolling. The off-season has made its way to the new year now and the new season is not far enough. In the hope that they have recovered from the fact that Shohei Ohtani is not an Angel anymore, it’s fair to wonder: What’s next for the Halos? 

On December 9th, 2023, every Angels fan worst fear since the season ended came true. The two-way phenom announced on Instagram that he would be choosing the Los Angeles Dodgers as his next team. Soon after, came the news of a 10-year, $700 million contract. And with that, started the Angels’ rebuilding. 

What’s Next For the Los Angeles Angels?

The present roster is approximately $70 million under the threshold for CBT in 2024, as recorded by FanGraphs. With that, the Angels can leverage some pitching upgrades. For that, starters like Blake Snell, Jordan Montgomery, and Marcus Stroman could be within their reach. But will that make their 2024 hopeful enough? 

Los Angeles could use a bat-first player to help substitute Ohtani’s production at DH. Adding another utility-type player to it, could be useful too. Moreover, adding a top-tier ace would make their roster ideal. Amid looking for prospects in 2024, one name that appears in the discussion is Catcher Logan O’Hoppe. Who has come off as a strong rookie and is expected to be the rising star of the franchise. The only challenge amid all this is how the Halos will cleanse their reputation. 

From an optical point of view, the Angels are infamous for “wasting” the time and talent of two of the most amazing players MLB has ever seen. Pre-Ohtani, the Angels’ star until 2018, was the two-time AL MVP Mike Trout. Though the 32-year-old has been dominant in the franchise, they are on a post season drought. That’s a tough spot to be in especially with the unicorn in the team who only and only wanted to win. That said, it becomes key to figure out how the absence of Troutani will work for the club. 

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Where Will the Los Angeles Angels Place Mike Trout Without Shohei Ohtani?

It is no secret that the club currently has an available DH position. This is quite the opposite of constantly placing Ohtani there for almost every game. With this opportunity, they can give occasional slots to players like Anthony Rendon or even Trout. This would potentially aid their health. 

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Let’s not forget that Trout is 32 years old and has only seven years remaining on his contract. That said, the team would have to toggle with multiple plans. In the immediate future, however, the Angels could consider improving their offense by eying players such as Jorge Soler or J.D. Martinez.