Angels prepping for busy first day of Draft

This story was excerpted from Rhett Bollinger’s Angels Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

ANAHEIM -- It’s been a while since the Angels had multiple first-day selections in the MLB Draft, but this year they can stockpile some talent in the early rounds with the No. 8, No. 45 and No. 74 overall picks on Sunday.

The No. 8 overall selection will garner the most attention, as it’s the club’s highest since taking future 2002 World Series MVP Troy Glaus with the No. 3 pick in the 1997 Draft. But the Angels have a second-round pick for the first time since 2021, after they lost it in 2022 because they signed Noah Syndergaard in free agency and in 2023 after inking Tyler Anderson to a three-year deal. They also didn’t have one in 2020 after signing Anthony Rendon to a seven-year contract.

In addition, the Angels received a compensation pick for losing Shohei Ohtani to the Dodgers in free agency after they extended him a qualifying offer. It’s the first time the club has had three picks on the first day of the Draft since 2010, when they had three first-rounders, two supplemental picks and a second-rounder.

The Draft begins on Sunday in Texas at 4 p.m. PT, which includes the first two rounds and the supplemental rounds. It will be broadcast live on MLB Network, ESPN and MLB.com. Day 2 is Rounds 3-10 and Day 3 is Rounds 11-20, with both days beginning at 11 a.m. PT. and MLB.com providing the coverage.

The Angels have been famously aggressive with moving their recent top Draft picks to the Majors in a hurry, and it could again be their strategy this year under general manager Perry Minasian and scouting director Tim McIlvaine, who was hired prior to the 2022 season.

First baseman Nolan Schanuel was the No. 11 overall pick last year and spent 40 days in the Minors before becoming the club's everyday first baseman late in the 2023 season, and has continued in that role this year.

Starting shortstop Zach Neto was the No. 13 selection in 2022, while right-hander Sam Bachman (No. 9 in 2021) and lefty Reid Detmers (No. 10 in 2020) have both pitched in the Majors and should join the rotation again at some point this year. Right-hander Chase Silseth, an 11th-rounder, was also the first player to reach the Majors from the 2021 Draft class.

This year’s edition is considered top-heavy and the Angels should be able to get premium talent with the No. 8 pick, with much of it coming down to negotiating deals and how clubs use their available slot money.

The top eight prospects as ranked by MLB.com are Oregon State second baseman Travis Bazzana, Georgia third baseman/outfielder Charlie Condon, Florida first baseman Jac Caglianone, West Virginia middle infielder JJ Wetherholt, Arkansas lefty Hagen Smith, Wake Forest right-hander Chase Burns, Wake Forest first baseman Nick Kurtz and Texas A&M outfielder Braden Montgomery.

They’re all college players, which fits the Angels' recent mold, and they’d be thrilled to land any of those eight, although it’s highly unlikely players such as Bazzana, Condon or Caglianone will be available.

If the Angels would rather go with high-upside high schoolers, Harvard-Westlake High School shortstop Bryce Rainer or Jackson Prep (Miss.) shortstop/outfielder Konnor Griffin could make some sense. Florida State outfielder James Tibbs III also could be an option if they’re looking to save slot money for later picks.

The Angels have a total bonus pool of $12,990,400, including $6,502,800 for the No. 8 pick, $2,072,800 for the No. 45 selection and $1,060,300 for No. 74 overall. It's much higher than last year when the Angels had a bonus pool of just $8,328,900, $5,253,000 for the No. 11 pick and $901,500 for their second selection at No. 79 overall.

It gives them more flexibility and they’ve been creative in recent years, signing No. 1 prospect Caden Dana for overslot as an 11th-rounder in 2022 as well as Silseth in 2021 and No. 3 prospect Barrett Kent in the eighth round last year.