Counting on Trout, Tony, Ohtani
Five issues facing the Angels:
The big fish:
In his inimitable social media style, Mike Trout recently posted to Instagram a photo of himself with the caption “2022.” That left plenty to interpretation (particularly without any accompanying exclamation marks), yet that’s also how Trout’s recovery from a 2021 calf injury unfolded – under a cloud.
Trout has not played since May 17, when he suffered a Grade 2 strain of his right calf muscle running the bases. The expected two-month recovery stretched through the end of the season, when Trout’s calf did not respond well the day after workouts and the Angels saw little reason to push the issue or risk a major setback.
Now, Trout will face the biggest question mark of his otherwise Hall of Fame career as he enters his age-30 season. There’s some solace in the fact he was having another MVP-caliber year, leading the majors in on-base percentage (.466) and OPS (1.090) at the time of his injury.
Shohei Ohtani’s accomplishments are so unprecedented, the two-way superstar constantly finds himself sailing into uncharted waters.
The reigning American League MVP somehow hit 46 home runs and also struck out 156 batters, amassed 9.1 Wins Above Replacement and made Babe Ruth look like a one-dimensional star. So, what now?
Ohtani, 27, threw 130⁄3 innings, his
1 most since 2016, when he completed 140 innings for Nippon Ham. He’d only thrown 531⁄3 innings total in his three years as an Angel, missing 2019 entirely after Tommy John surgery.
Can he build upon his 23 starts and innings total? Probably not; the once-aweek regiment works just too well, and the Angels know how to manage a staff around it. Simply pushing “duplicate” on 2021 would please the Angels and baseball at large to no end.
Tony! Tony. Tony?
Any giddiness over the Angels signing third baseman Anthony Rendon to a $245 million deal have long since faded after an injuryplagued and ineffective 2021. Rendon, 31, was limited to 58 games by injuries, most notably a hamstring issue and a hip impingement that required season-ending surgery in August.
Rendon is expected to be ready for spring training, and a healthy 2022 sea
They need a shortstop, and free agents Trevor Story and Carlos Correa remain on the market. Expect a significant upgrade there via trade or free agency and some late fliers to round out rotation, bullpen and catching depth. 77-85; fourth place, AL West
son – after the pandemic-shortened 2020 followed by last year – may present the first chance for Rendon to show his signing was worthwhile.
Bargains or bums?
The November flurry of signings saw Robbie Ray, Kevin Gausman, Marcus Stroman, Max Scherzer, Steven Matz and Jon Gray strengthen other teams’ rotations. The Angels? They rolled a $22 million dice on Noah Syndergaard’s return from Tommy John surgery while hoping Michael Lorenzen and Aaron Loup – the former seeking a revival, the other hoping to sustain his – lengthen the staff.
Jo:
After a disappointing 2020 on both sides of the ball, outfielder Jo Adell did not get back to Anaheim until Aug. 3, and then played just 35 games before an abdominal strain ended his season. But Adell showed significant progress in all facets, most notably plate discipline, and put himself firmly back on the radar for an everyday role in 2022. Holding down that gig – and perhaps even flourishing – could be the difference between another mediocre Angels season and an intriguing one.