ANAHEIM -- The Angels have a new manager in the widely respected Ron Washington, but they still have plenty of question marks heading into the 2024 season, especially after losing two-way sensation Shohei Ohtani to the rival Dodgers via free agency.

The Angels won 73 games for a second consecutive season and moved on from manager Phil Nevin, who was signed to a one-year contract after he served as interim manager for 106 games in 2022. The Halos hired Washington to establish a new culture, as he helped lead the Rangers into consistent winners during his time in Texas from 2007-14 and was instrumental in the development of several Braves players as a third-base coach from ‘17-23.

But Washington has a tough task ahead of him, and it leads us to three storylines to watch for the Angels this spring, with pitchers and catchers reporting on Tuesday.

How will the Angels fare post-Ohtani?

The Angels had Ohtani on their roster for six years -- and saw him win AL Rookie of the Year honors in 2018 and the AL MVP Award in ‘21 and ’23 -- but never posted a winning record in any of those seasons. He left via free agency to the Dodgers this offseason on a 10-year deal worth $700 million (with $680 million deferred), and now the Halos are left to pick up the pieces.

It’s expected to be a year in transition for the Angels, who still have superstar Mike Trout but will lean heavily on a young core of players that includes catcher Logan O’Hoppe, shortstop Zach Neto, first baseman Nolan Schanuel, outfielder Mickey Moniak and starting pitchers Chase Silseth and Reid Detmers.

The Halos will go back to utilizing a five-man rotation now that Ohtani is gone, and barring any additions or injuries, it’s expected to be composed of Patrick Sandoval, Tyler Anderson, Griffin Canning, Silseth and Detmers. The bullpen is now considered the club’s biggest strength after the Angels made several signings this offseason. But on the position player side, they have to hope Trout stays healthy and that Anthony Rendon can bounce back after three straight injury-plagued seasons.

Will the Angels continue to add via free agency?

It was an unusually slow offseason around baseball, and there are still several quality free agents who have yet to sign despite Spring Training ramping up this week. The Angels could still sign a high-quality starting pitcher such as Blake Snell or Jordan Montgomery, while Cody Bellinger is the top position player available. They could also opt for a bat-first player such as Jorge Soler or Adam Duvall, as they have an opening at designated hitter with Ohtani out of the mix.

The Angels mostly focused on relief help this offseason, signing Robert Stephenson to a three-year deal worth $33 million, while also signing Matt Moore, Luis García, Adam Cimber, José Cisnero, Zach Plesac and Adam Kolarek to one-year deals. The only position player they signed to a Major League deal this offseason was outfielder Aaron Hicks, who signed for the league minimum because he’s still getting paid roughly $19 million from the Yankees over the next two seasons.

How many outfielders will the club carry and how will the bench look?

With the addition of Hicks, the Angels have a crowded outfield that includes Trout, Moniak, Taylor Ward and Jo Adell. Adell is the wild card of the group because he’s out of Minor League options, so if he doesn’t make the roster out of Spring Training, he’d have to be exposed to waivers.

The Angels could open the season with all five outfielders on the roster, as they lack infield depth and don’t seem ready to give up on Adell. But it’ll be an important spring for him to prove that he can contribute this season, even if it’s in a part-time role.

If they do go with five outfielders, it would leave just one bench spot open for an infielder. Brandon Drury and Luis Rengifo offer positional flexibility because of their ability to play multiple infield positions, which does ease that burden. They figure to split time at second base, and Rengifo can also handle shortstop to back up Neto, while Drury can play both corner-infield spots to back up Rendon and Schanuel. But they still would need another infielder on the roster, with Michael Stefanic and Kyren Paris competing for that spot along with non-roster invitees such as Hunter Dozier, Evan White and Miguel Sanó.

ANGELS ANNOUNCE 27 NON-ROSTER INVITEES

The Angels added another reliever to the 40-man roster with the addition of Guillermo Zuñiga from the Cardinals on Wednesday for cash considerations after he was designated for assignment on Saturday.

Zuñiga, 25, got his first taste of the Majors last year, allowing one run with four strikeouts in two innings. He has a big arm, as his fastball averaged 99 mph, and he pairs it with a 92 mph changeup and an 88 mph slider.

The right-hander had trouble with his control at Triple-A Memphis, posting a 7.63 ERA with 37 strikeouts and 20 walks in 30 2/3 innings. He still has Minor League options remaining, so he can be sent down this season without having to be placed on waivers.

Right-hander Austin Warren, who is coming off Tommy John surgery, was DFA'd to make room for him on the roster. The Angels are hopeful Warren will pass through waivers, as teams might be reluctant to claim him because of his injury. Warren has a career 3.55 ERA in 38 innings over the past three seasons and is expected to be ready to return early in the season.

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