As the offseason gets closer for the Los Angeles Angels, they may be starting to realize that there is a chance for some real change to the roster this winter. Both Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout could leave the organization, and a complete rebuild could be coming.
The team may not want to accept this reality, but in just a few months, it has a real chance of taking place. Luckily, the Angels have found some new younger players who have shown their worth this season.
This includes catcher Logan O’Hoppe and shortstop Zach Neto. No matter what happens this winter, these two should be on the roster next season, as they try to build their careers up with the Halos.
Manager Phil Nevin has been thankful for them this season, and he is expecting them to become the future leaders of the organization. He praised the leadership that O’Hoppe brings each time on the field.
“He’s that type of frontline leader that, if you want to say that’s been lacking here, it has,” Nevin said. “He’s somebody that can take over that role. Obviously, we have some veteran players that provide leadership as well, but if you look into the long term of it, I can see Logan being one of those guys.”
For the season, O’Hoppe has had a solid year but has been limited to just 37 games this season due to injury. However, he has impressed when he's been healthy.
“O’Hoppe showed up last September and it was instant leadership,” Nevin said. “He took over catchers meetings. He took over pitchers meetings.”
He looks to be their catcher for the future, and rightfully so. His ability to command a pitching staff has helped the Angels a ton in the games he has played.
Now with Neto, he is a rookie but hasn’t acted like it. Much like O’Hoppe, he has been hit with different injuries this season that have limited him to just around 70 games played.
During that time, he has been a solid player at the plate and in the diamond, but his presence in the lineup has been something Nevin has enjoyed all year.
“There’s a different feel when (Neto is) on the field,” Nevin said. “That’s just the way it is. There are certain players that bring instant energy with their presence.”
The Halos have some nice pieces to build around going forward. It will be an interesting offseason for them, but not all will be completely lost if they were to lose their All-Stars.
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