Are the Los Angeles Angels in a win-now mode? The Angels finished the 2021 season with a 77-85 record, coming in fourth place in the American League West. 

“Especially towards the end of this season, our team wasn’t winning, and it wasn’t clear what the postseason would bring, so there were many mentally tough moments,” said Shohei Ohtani. 

What should L.A. do this offseason in order to keep their star players, such as Ohtani and Mike Trout, satisfied? The obvious answer is pitching. The 2021 starting rotation posted a 4.69 run average with Ohtani, Dylan Bundy, Alex Cobb, and Andrew Heaney. 

“I think that in all areas, there could definitely be improvements made, but front and center is on the mound. We need to pitch better,” said Perry Minasian, the Angels general manager. 

With star pitchers on the market like Clayton Kershaw and Justin Verlander, along with Cy Young winner Robbie Ray, and future Hall Of Famer Max Sherzer, the Angels are loaded with options. As reported by Scherzer’s agent, he is searching for a team that is willing to win right now. And the question is if the Angels will be able to show veterans like Verlander and Scherzer that they are ready. 

“Frontline starting pitching is tough to acquire,” Minasian said. “That being said, we’d like to significantly improve our rotation. We’d definitely like to find an arm or two that can impact the rotation.”

Recently reported by ESPN’s Jeff Passan, free-agent starting pitcher Noah Syndergaard has agreed on a 1-year, $21 million contract with the Los Angeles Angels.  

Some fans question the amount of money that the Angels spent on Syndergaard since he had only played nine games since 2019 after receiving Tommy John surgery this past season. No matter the money spent, it is a good sign to players like Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon who are entering into their thirties. 

Also announced by MLB Network’s Jon Morosi, the Angels, along with signing Syndergaard, made a huge push for newly signed Edurado Rodriguez before he finalized a deal with the Tigers Monday morning. 

“The Red Sox, Blue Jays and Angels were all involved in the Eduardo Rodríguez market over the last week, so look for those clubs to pivot and pursue other rotation options,” said Morosi. 

Aside from the starting rotation, the bullpen also needs a lot of improvement. Los Angeles has clearly shown that they are eager to bring back closer Raisel Iglesias. 

“We really enjoyed having him on the club,” Minasian said. “We hope to work something out.”

With stars aging like Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon, the time is now for the Los Angeles Angels to make a push to win it all.