Improved defense makes Angels team to watch

Looking at projected standings in December is probably more useful as a conversation starter than as serious data — and, of course, those projections will continue to change over the rest of the offseason as more signings and trades occur — but one of the more interesting conversations they’ve started this winter revolves around whether the Angels — who won just 74 games in 2016 — might actually be contenders in 2017.

Obviously, simply having Mike Trout makes any team interesting. But for the Angels, they have another pretty big strength, which is that they took what was already one of baseball’s best defenses and made moves this offseason to make it even better.

That’s a good thing to have working in their favor, and it’s a big part of why the Angels are currently projected to go 85-77 and finish second in the American League West behind the Astros. Not only that, but those projected 85 wins represent the fourth-highest projected total in the entire AL. Could the defense really be so great that it disguises the obvious uncertainty in the rotation?

• FanGraphs’ Jeff Sullivan argues that the Orioles should start Caleb Joseph

If Garrett Richards, Matt Shoemaker, and Tyler Skaggs are healthy and productive, then, sure, the team is in good position to field an improved starting rotation. However, all three of those pitchers carry significant health question marks, making them tough to count on. Certainty in pitcher health is not a thing that exists for any team, but it’s a variable that’s even more relevant to these Angels than most other teams, because there isn’t a lot of depth here. The Halos hope to have a league-average innings-eater type pitcher in Ricky Nolasco and then a gaggle of fifth-starter options, including Jesse Chavez, John Lamb, Alex Meyer, and Nate …

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