Angels News: Halos TV Broadcaster Praises Roster Ahead of Next Season

Over the last eight seasons, the Angels have had a lot of star power but very little success to show for it, due mostly to a lack of pitching and a lack of position-player depth. After having the best record in baseball in 2014, the Halos dropped down to third place in the AL West in 2015 with an 85-77 record, and they've been below .500 every year since.

Veteran broadcaster Mark Gubicza has been around to see it all, having called games for the Angels for the past 15 years. Gubie was recently on MLB Network and talked about the moves Halos GM Perry Minasian has made this offseason.

“Perry Minasian has added some really good depth as far as Brandon Drury, Hunter Renfroe, Gio Urshela, as far as position players that can help just in case, or they can be productive parts of the everyday lineup. And then you add Tyler Anderson, who was an All-Star last year with the Dodgers and almost threw a no-hitter against the Angels last year at Dodger Stadium.

"So, there’s a lot of balance in the rotation. Shohei Ohtani, a phenomenal player, but you look at, you know, the rest of the rotation. Reid Detmers threw a no-hitter last year. You got Patrick Sandoval, I think is going to develop into one of the best left-handed pitchers in the game. So, and Jose Suarez, so, the rotation is deep, they’re going to try to do some stuff with the bullpen.

"But finally, you’re seeing some depth with the Angels, as far as their everyday lineup. That’s something we didn’t think we were going to talk about a whole lot last year, but that came into play and the reason why they really struggled there towards the end.”

The Angels' pitching, as Gubicza mentions, was actually pretty solid last year, and the addition of Tyler Anderson in the rotation and Carlos Estevez in relief will add to that. Brandon Drury, Hunter Renfroe, and Gio Urshela should fill the need for depth among the position players, providing insurance if Anthony Rendon continues to struggle and flexibility if he bounces back.

The AL West will be tough — the Astros and Mariners both made the playoffs last year and continue to go for it, and the Rangers have signed 387 starting pitchers this offseason — but the Angels have a real chance to make it an interesting race all year long and, at worst, battle for a Wild Card spot.