The Los Angeles Angels' players, coaches and staff have reported to spring training. It's a spring of transition following some significant changes over the offseason.
On the field, the team will no longer have superstar Shohei Ohtani to lean on. His absence at designated hitter and in the starting rotation present two obvious holes that the team has yet to fill.
New manager Ron Washington and his coaching staff will have their work cut out for them after general manager Perry Minasian focused his offseason work on rebuilding the team's bullpen.
Other than adding veteran outfielder Aaron Hicks, Minasian did little to upgrade the position-player side of the Angels' depth chart. More free agents are available, so could more moves be in store?
Minasian told Dodgers Nation's Noah Camras that the team will make a move if it makes sense for what they're trying to do.
“If there’s something out there that makes sense, we’ll look at it and we’ll do it.”
— Perry Minasian via Dodgers Nation
Minasian also told Camras that ownership has shown its committed to winning.
“This is an ownership obviously that’s proven they’re willing to do whatever it takes to win, and I don’t think that’s changed.”
-Perry Minasian via Dodgers Nation
There are still plenty of players on the open market that the Angels could benefit from signing. We learned earlier this week that superstar Mike Trout is doing some recruiting of his own. Trout said he's spoken to players interested in the Angels, yet nothing has materialized.
The simplest answer might also be the most accurate: the Angels might have the need and the desire to add to their roster, but owner Arte Moreno might consider the asking price too high among the remaining free agents.
Moreno has been criticized for overpaying aging stars (Albert Pujols, Josh Hamilton, Anthony Rendon, etc.), and might be wary of making the same mistake with anyone in this year's free agent class.
In any event, the Angels still have some holes to fill. Time will tell whether they fill those holes internally or continue to leave the door open for outside talent.
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