TEMPE, Ariz. -- As Kurt Suzuki begins his first season as the Angels' manager, he said his main message this spring will be an emphasis on players competing and earning their roles after a 72-win season in 2025.
Suzuki, speaking to the media on Tuesday ahead of the club’s first official workout for pitchers and catchers on Wednesday, said he had that mentality as a player and wants his players to embrace a similar mindset. The Angels have roster battles in the back end of their rotation, for their closer role, in center field and at second base.
“I'm not here to say I'm the smartest guy or that I’m here to reinvent it, right?” Suzuki said. “It's baseball. Obviously, the last few years haven't been how we expected it. But culture-wise, I'm just gonna be myself. As a player, I grinded it out. I earned everything. I felt like I had to prove myself every single year. And I want these players to understand that's what it's going to be like around here and to not take anything for granted.”
Notably, Suzuki said there will be a competition for the final two spots in the rotation, as he stated that right-hander José Soriano and lefties Yusei Kikuchi and Reid Detmers are the only locks. He said both right-hander Grayson Rodriguez and Alek Manoah will have to earn their spots after they both didn’t pitch in the Majors in 2025 due to injury. But both are healthy and Manoah played catch with Detmers during light workouts on Tuesday.
“They’ve got to come out here and earn it,” Suzuki said. “They have to prove to us that they're ready to go and can do the job. Open competition is great, and I feel like it brings guys together.”
Suzuki also said he’s looking at several options at closer and that flamethrower Ben Joyce has been throwing with no issues, but he’s not sure if he’ll be ready for the start of the season just yet. Joyce underwent right shoulder surgery last May and could close at some point this season when healthy.
Right-hander Robert Stephenson, who pitched just 10 innings last year after coming off Tommy John surgery and dealing with right elbow inflammation, is an early favorite to close if he can stay healthy. Other alternatives include veterans like Kirby Yates, Jordan Romano or Drew Pomeranz.
“We definitely have options,” Suzuki said. “We have guys that have done it before at a high level. And I think the benefit for us is we have options and we can be flexible. But in that ninth inning, I wouldn't put a name out there to be our closer right now.”
Suzuki stated he plans to meet with superstar Mike Trout once he arrives to camp to get a better feel for how much outfield he’ll play this offseason compared to designated hitter duty. Trout, a three-time AL MVP and 11-time All-Star, dealt with a bone bruise in his surgically repaired left knee last year that limited him to just 22 games in right field.
Trout, though, could be a candidate to see limited time in center, as the Angels lack an everyday center fielder. The Halos traded for Josh Lowe and he’s expected to see some time there despite mostly playing right field for the Rays in recent seasons, while Jo Adell is also an option there. Bryce Teodosio is by far their best defender in center, but he slashed .203/.248/.304 in 50 games last year.
“We're not closing the door on anybody,” Suzuki said. “We’ve got a long time to check out guys, see how they're doing, see how they're feeling. Whoever gives us the best opportunity to win, we're gonna go that route.”
As far as second base, Christian Moore is the favorite there, but he will be pushed by utilitymen Oswald Peraza and Vaughn Grissom. Both are out of Minor League options, but they could be bench players if they don’t win the second-base job over Moore. They also signed former first-rounder Nick Madrigal to a Minor League deal to give some competition for Moore, who was the No. 8 overall pick in the 2024 Draft and hit .198/.284/.370 in 53 games as a rookie last year.
“C-Mo has done it, he's been up here,” Suzuki said. “But we also have veteran guys are coming into camp that have played there before in the big leagues. I think for a younger guy like C-Mo, competition brings out the best. I want guys to come in hungry, ready to earn it, and go out there and show me they want it.”