It’s no mystery that things have not been going well for the Los Angeles Angels over the past decade. After appearing briefly in the 2014 postseason, the team has failed to make the playoffs since then and has had eight consecutive losing seasons starting in 2016. Despite having two of the best players in baseball on their roster at the same time, the Angels couldn’t find a way to win and put them on the biggest stage and now find themselves weaker as a team and in a sense, directionless, as they try to navigate in a post-Ohtani world they now exist. What are the Angels doing exactly?

It’s been a rather quiet and unremarkable offseason for the Angels, with their priority being the bullpen. Since the start of the offseason, the Angels have signed relievers Luis Garcia, Adam Kolarek (who was later outrighted off the 40-man roster) and Adam Cimber to one-year deals. They also acquired reliever Tyler Thomas from the Atlanta Braves along with first baseman Evan White. They also made a notable signing of free agent right-hander Zach Plesac to bolster their starting depth and add a long reliever to the bullpen. Their most recent and costly acquisition of the signing of Robert Stephenson to slot into the back end of their bullpen on a three-year, $33 million deal.

The Halos want to revamp their pitching staff heading into next year under new pitching coach Barry Enright and bullpen coach Steve Karsay. The hope appears to be that the new voices over pitching can bring the tools to the table that can help the Angels improve and get bounce-back years from almost all the arms already employed in the arm barn.

But with these relief acquisitions, the Angels can’t exactly be counted out for landing a top talent arm such as Blake Snell or even Jordan Montgomery. While it doesn’t seem likely that they sign either one, the fact that the Angels have expressed interest in several notable free agent starters this season is an indication they are at least trying to gauge the market. However, nothing has come to fruition for them, and will likely rest their hopes on their current rotation. Enright will have his work cut out for him trying to not only help the team find a way to replace the pitching production of Shohei Ohtani but also doing so in a tough AL West division. There is plenty of potential with starters like Reid Detmers and Patrick Sandoval as well as Chase Silseth, but there are plenty of question marks about the rotation and pitching staff as a whole.

Beyond the pitching, the offense also comes with questions. Losing Ohtani is a huge blow to the offensive output of the Angels as they now lose the 30-40 home runs Ohtani brought to the table. They also face uncertainty and questions about the health and production of a number of other players. Anthony Rendon’s contract with the Angels is already an albatross as injuries continue to rob him of playing time. He has not played in more than 60 games in a season since 2019 and his contract commitment is a costly sum for a team needing more production. Mike Trout also continues to deal with injuries that continue to limit his playing time year to year. When healthy for a full season, both Trout and Rendon would be a huge boost for their team, but as they get older and their bodies continue to wear down, the Angels have to make sure their depth options are ready to step in.

There have been reports that the Angels had been interested in players like Kevin Kiermaier and Harrison Bader before they signed this offseason. They have also shown interest in Michael A. Taylor and Enrique Hernandez as extra options for the outfield and infield respectively. There have also been various minor league signings and trades that point to the fact that it appears that the Angels are mainly focused on filling out the bench and depth while maintaining the status quo of the lineup. Much like with pitching the team could still go out and sign a notable impact bat like Cody Bellinger as they remain roughly $70 million under the first competitive balance tax threshold. They have come close to that threshold often in the past even going over it at the trade deadline, but quickly tried to get under it by putting a number of players on waivers late in August.

A new designated hitter or impact bat in general is what the Angels likely need the most as they head into 2024. J.D. Martinez and Jorge Soler both bring a slugger’s approach that the Angels could use to replace Ohtani in the lineup. They both represent the type of bat-first type of player that could thrive on a one or two-year deal that helps give the Angels an ability to compete now, while also figuring out their plan for the next few years.

There are plenty of questions remaining for the Angels as they try to snap their losing streak and playoff drought. The hiring of Ron Washington as their new manager is a step in the right direction as he is determined to change the culture of the team. His experience in the big leagues as a coach along with his new staff is going to help their young core that will continue to shuffle through. However, it’s a matter of if ownership will enable him to have the tools needed to get the job done. Otherwise, the Angels will continue to try and put up the facade of trying to compete while not doing much of anything.