By @Dochalo, AngelsWin.com Contributor

The Angels are a good team.  Probably the best team fielded in 5 years. 

They could have been better.  

It would have taken money though. Probably a decent chunk more money.  The Angels opening day payroll is projected around 189 million.  That's pretty good.  Good enough for other teams to be jealous. Double or at least a lot more than that of some other really good teams.

Here's a fun article:

https://thecardinalnation.com/ranking-major-league-baseball-teams-financial-strength/

First of all the caveats.  I have no idea if their numbers are totally accurate and it's some dude from a site called 'the cardinal nation'.  I know how I feel about all things cardinal related.  But I thought it was an interesting look.  But we've had this discussion.  Financial people smarter than I have made their valid points etc.  

But here's my point.  It doesn't matter if other teams are figuring out how to be more efficient in terms of talent relative to the opportunity that the Angels have right this second.  Yes it matters for long term viability and success.  But not for 2022 and maybe even 2023 and 2024.  The team is clearly in reasonable if not very good financial shape.  

So let's digress for a second and I promise I'll come back to the actual topic.  The Angels have the highest percentage of non-arb and non pre arb players.  Hmm, I wonder why that is.  Why does it always feel we are limited on a yearly and that there's always the sentiment of 'well, wait till that guys off the books'?  So I'll provide the obvious answer to my own semi-rhetorical question.  We just haven't drafted and developed all that well.   That's catastrophic for many reasons but it does impact this years team and how we're gonna get back on topic.  Sort of.  

The other way to make your team better than spending is to trade for really good players.  But you have to have some players that are going to be really good in the future to do that.  And let's talk about that for a second.  Trades are really really hard.  More difficult than throwing a truck of money at a guy to convince him to play here.  You need scratch.  Dinero.  Moolah.   Greenbacks.  (in terms of trade capital of course).  And with all due respect ( @Lou )to @totdprods, no one wants Jordyn Adams for a really good player.  And no one is going to properly value Arol Vera or Denzer Guzman because they haven't done much yet.   And if you do have a couple good players that are in line to contribute then you can't part with those guys.  Every phone call Perry took as it relates to a trade was Detmers, Adell and Marsh.  Oh My!  And the answer was always going to be and should be no!   So you're either stuck with accepting lesser value or damaging the absolute core of your major league club.  SO NO TRADES! (yet). 

Which leads us back to spending to make this work.   So there's an important question to ask about that.  Do you have a window?  Some might contend that it's a small, frosted glass one looking out from your shower but I think it's a bit bigger and more clear than that.  This is already long enough without getting into that having to do with some young guys and the ages of a few key player and how long it might take for the next wave etc.  But it's there more right now than it's been for awhile.  That's good enough for me.  

So why am I optimistic yet disappointed? (finally right?)

Let's break it down by position:

C 

Optimistic - Max Stassi of course.   That extension is great.  Locking him up for the foreseeable future.  He won't be confused with an elite C and at 31, there's some age concerns for a 3+ year deal, but he's not being paid like and elite guy by any means.  He's a good receiver and handles the staff well.  A better hitter than I ever expected and even if he tapers off a bit, he's only being paid a few mil more than most backups these days.  

Disappointed - Are you kidding me Perry?  Kurt Suzuki?  I know it's a pretty small thing but great teams care about small things.   They missed a win here.  Easily.  And I'll never be convinced what he does off the diamond makes up for his poor on field play.  And it really wouldn't have cost much to do better.  And extra 2m to get Manny Pina.  Less than what they're paying Suzuki to get someone better.  

INF

Optimistic - Rendon is back healthy.  Excited to see Walsh take a step forward.  Fingers crossed, rabbits foot, horseshoes all ready to help Fletcher get back to form.    Matt Duffy is a decent depth piece.  Wishing and hoping and dreaming still on Rengifo.  Davis can repeat last year?  Stefanic can rake.  Mayfield become a late bloomer?  He's got so pop and plays really good defense.  Wade and Velazquez can pick it and they can run.  So a lot of unproven depth with some upside that likely requires timing get these guys optimized.   Finally, I'm just gonna assume they've fixed whatever plagued what should have been a decent defense last year.  

Disappointed - Walsh can hit lefties.  They might have figured out Fletcher.  And they'll likely play him at a position that doesn't maximize is defensive value.  And waiver pickups plus minor league depth for a team looking to make the postseason?  C'mon.  You can do better Perry.  You should have done better.  Not Correa or Semian or Seager better, but at least Villar better for 6m.  Switch hitter that could have spelled Walsh if he still struggles.  Can play 3b if Rendon gets hurt.  A starter in the MIF if Fletch fails again or even if he doesn't.  They were a decent depth piece away from making thing acceptable and giving everyone a fair amount more comfort.  

OF

Optimistic - Trout.  I could probably stop there but I pumped about watching Adell and Marsh.  Adell looked really good.  Marsh is gonna quietly be valuable.  People might get a bit frustrated with him at times but the contribution will be there.  Don't sleep on Taylor Ward.  He's becoming a better defender with increased reps and he's a better hitter than he gets credit for.  And he can run.  Rojas and Fletcher and Walsh and maybe even Lorenzen can get thrown out there in a pinch if needed.  And Rojas can hit.  And there's a bit of low ceiling depth in AAA in Martinez, Cabbage, Thomas and Sierra.  

Disappointed - not much other than I'm sad to see Upton go because he seems like such a good dude.  Not sure the timing was perfect, but his best days were behind him.  Probably even his palatable days.   A little concerned about Marsh and Adell not continuing their progress.  But not enough to go out and sign another OFer.  So no spend here.    

SP

Optimistic - Thor looks great.  Detmers looks great.  So much more like the successful guy in the minor last year as opposed to the nervous rookie last year.  Lorenzen looks capable of handling a starters role.  Suarez and Sandoval ready for the next level.  Bachman moves quick.  There's some depth in Junk, Barria, Daniel, Smith, Diaz.  

Disappointed - Health, depth, and attrition.  The first one is just a given but relates to depth.  And even if they all do well, you're back to having significant needs again or doling out a big time contract for Thor and/or the additional value that you've enabled Lorenzen to obtain if he succeeds.   Outside of Bachman, there still no high ceiling depth until Rodriguez comes back and hopefully Canning can heal quick.  A year or two from now, I think I'll feel a lot better.  But I'd have spent on one more stable piece.  Even if it were underwhelming to some who have pined for that TOR arm.  Cost would have been in the 10-20m range.  Deal with the good problem of having too many SP should it ever occur like Santa riding a unicorn during a Martian eclipse.  

RP

Optimistic - best pen on paper we've had in a long time (get it?).  Dare I say it's almost good enough to save Joe from himself?  And there's a ton of depth with some potential fast risers.  There's like 20 guys who could fill out the AAA pen.  Seriously.  And then all the A+ and AA college guys we just draft.  

Disappointed - They overspent.  Almost 95m on the pen for the next 2-4 years.  About 30m for 2022 alone.  Again, I'm certainly not complaining on Iglesias or even Loup for that matter.  But there are a ton of arms in the system that can be here pretty quick and smart GM's figure out how not to spend on the pen.  It's not that I don't love a good pen it's just that I see money better spent elsewhere.  Especially when you have the depth we do now.  

DH 

Optimistic - Ohtani.  How cool is it that the collectively bargained to make sure that Ohatni gets as much mlb face time as possible.  Just thought he deserved his own category.   

Disappointed - nope

Was going to add a coaching category but I'll leave it alone.  Bottom line is that another 10-20 could have made a difference and I think would have been worth it for this team.  Basically, Robbie Ray + Villar - Tepera = an additional 5-6 wins.   It's a good team that's a bit more thin in certain areas than I'd like and that easily could have been addressed.  But I am glad they didn't do anything drastic or desperate.  Which I was frankly a bit worried about going into the off season.