Sports Illustrated - USA (2020 - Spring)

59

BEFORE LAST SEASON, the Angels played

small ball rather than sign Bryce Harper or

Manny Machado. They wound up spending

more than $34 million on five free agents,

all of whom turned out to be sub-replacement-

level players. What was your favorite Matt

Harvey memory, Anaheim fans?

This winter GM Billy Eppler doled out

$35 million the right way: He signed

superstar third baseman Anthony Rendon

to a seven-year deal for that much annually,

giving centerfielder Mike Trout the lineup

complement he has always needed (Albert

Pujols was in decline when he got to

Anaheim) while addressing a position that

has been a weakness for years. Adding

Rendon cuts the gap between the 2019

Angels and contention almost in half.

The problem is the rest of that gap, which

is on the mound. While Eppler added depth

with righthanders Dylan Bundy and Julio

Teheran, each is the sort of No. 4 starter the

Angels have in bulk. They hope to get Shohei

Ohtani’s arm back by May after Tommy John

surgery, but given his injury history, it’s

hardly clear he can spearhead a staff.

Anaheim’s season will come down to three

pitchers who, as rookies, had a combined

5.64 ERA over 210^2 / 3 innings. Can at least

one of Griffin Canning, José Suarez or

Patrick Sandoval, all fair prospects 24 and

younger, take a big step forward?

Whether in or out of AL West contention,

Anaheim remains one of the most watchable

teams in the game. Three-time AL MVP

Trout, two-way phenom Ohtani, Gold Glove

shortstop Andrelton Simmons and rookie

outfielder Jo Adell can provide better

late-night TV than any talk show on the

networks. Unfortunately for Angels fans,

with the team’s rotation, there will be

fireworks from the opposition as well.

They need a 15-win improvement to hit the over: Anthony Rendon’s arrival and Shohei

Ohtani’s return to the mound get them most of that. New rotation depth does the rest.

OVER

UNDER 86.5

| LF/DH | The lifelong Angel has plateaued—if only

MOVING DOWN

JUSTIN

UPTON

92 OPS+ | -0.9 WAR

The 32-year-

old outfielder

no longer hits

for average or

defends well.

In a season cut

short by turf

toe and a right

knee injury,

he slugged

just .416.

ANGELS

AL WEST

JOHN MCCOY/GETTY IMAGES

This winter Eppler doled out

$35 million the right way:

He signed Rendon to a seven-year

deal for that much annually.