O¡¯Hoppe, Lamb still in the mix for final roster spot

TEMPE, Ariz. -- The Angels¡¯ roster situation became clearer after they made a slew of roster moves after Friday¡¯s game, including optioning outfielders Mickey Moniak and Jo Adell and reassigning relievers Ben Joyce, Austin Warren and Jacob Webb to Minor League camp.
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The Angels essentially now have to decide on a sixth starter between lefty Tucker Davidson and right-hander Griffin Canning and how they¡¯ll handle the final roster spot. They¡¯re exploring whether they¡¯ll carry a third catcher (Matt Thaiss and Logan O'Hoppe in addition to Max Stassi), an extra reliever (Andrew Wantz) or a left-handed bench bat (Jake Lamb) for that final spot.
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¡°I think we¡¯ve got it pretty narrowed down,¡± Angels manager Phil Nevin said. ¡°But there¡¯s still some decisions to make.¡±
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With Moniak and Adell opening the season with Triple-A Salt Lake, it also means veteran Brett Phillips will be the club¡¯s fourth outfielder. The Angels want Moniak and Adell to get consistent at-bats in Triple-A, as Phillips will only play sparingly and will mostly be used as a defensive replacement.

The Angels are more likely to start an infielder such as Jared Walsh or Luis Rengifo in the outfield instead of Phillips on days when they are looking to give a break to starting outfielders Mike Trout, Hunter Renfroe or Taylor Ward.

¡°It¡¯ll be dictated based on matchups, the opposing pitcher and what I feel is best for us,¡± Nevin said. ¡°There¡¯s certainly guys capable of going out there. But there aren¡¯t many off-days early, so I don¡¯t anticipate any of the [regulars] needing time off for the first few weeks. Things can change, but that¡¯s where we¡¯re at. Those guys are ready to go.¡±

And with Joyce, Warren and Webb being sent to the Minors, it means Wantz is the top candidate to be the club¡¯s eighth reliever. But there¡¯s a catch, as the Angels still haven¡¯t decided whether they will carry an eighth reliever.

Thaiss has had a solid spring and is out of Minor League options, meaning he¡¯d have to be exposed to waivers if he doesn¡¯t make the Major League roster. And given a lack of catching depth around the league, Thaiss would likely be claimed if he doesn¡¯t make the team.

So, the Angels must decide how ready they think O¡¯Hoppe, their No. 1 prospect, is for the Majors. There¡¯s still a chance he could be optioned, but if they believe he¡¯s ready, they could go with three catchers to open the year. Or they could even decide to move on from Thaiss and carry only Stassi and O¡¯Hoppe as their two catchers.

Davidson is in the same situation as Thaiss, as he¡¯s also out of options. It¡¯s expected to give him the edge over Canning for the sixth spot in the rotation. He also has some experience in relief, and the sixth starter is slated to open the year in the bullpen until a need for one arises on April 12.

¡°There are a couple of guys in line who could pitch that day,¡± Nevin said. ¡°It just depends on how the games go.¡±

Lamb is a wild card, as he had a strong spring, hitting .333 with two homers, four doubles and nine RBIs in 15 games. He also can play both corner infield spots and has some experience in the outfield. But Lamb isn't on the 40-man roster, which works against him. The Angels could decide to send him to the Minors and keep him as veteran depth, but Nevin said Lamb remains in the mix.

Nevin also added that they haven¡¯t decided on a closer to open the year, as it¡¯ll be more based on matchups. Right-hander Carlos Estévez was signed as a free agent this offseason and was expected to get the first chance to close, but has struggled this spring. Others in mix include right-handers Jimmy Herget and Ryan Tepera and lefties Aaron Loup and José Quijada.

¡°I wouldn¡¯t say we have an exact closer yet,¡± Nevin said. ¡°I was asked who I¡¯d use on the first night and I don¡¯t know. It kind of depends on what the game dictates. We¡¯ll just kind of play it out and see how it goes.¡±