Minasian encouraged by progress of young Halos

PHOENIX -- Angels general manager Perry Minasian knows his club’s record this season hasn’t been pretty.

The Angels fell to 26-42 with an 11-1 loss in the series finale against the D-backs on Thursday night at Chase Field, but he’s been encouraged by the progress of several young players and believes things are heading in the right direction despite the on-field struggles.

He cited the improvements he’s seen from players like shortstop Zach Neto, catcher Logan O’Hoppe, first baseman Nolan Schanuel, right fielder Jo Adell and right-hander José Soriano over the last month, and believes they are all an important part of the organization’s core going forward.

“Obviously, we're not happy with the record,” Minasian said. “But for me at least, it’s the ability to let the young guys play. We have to develop players to go where we want to go. There are some young players here we’re excited about. I have to remind myself it’s the first full year in the big leagues for a lot of these guys.”

Minasian has appreciated the mindset of his young players, and he believes they’ve stayed positive despite the struggles because they know that they still have to learn how to win. The Angels are just 8-13 in one-run games and 10-31 when the opponent scores first.

But Minasian said that taking those lumps is part of the process, as he saw similar paths to winning during his time in Toronto and Atlanta as an assistant general manager, where they built their clubs around a young core that put it together over time. It also hasn’t helped that the club’s two stars, Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon, have both been out since late April and there’s no timetable for either of their returns just yet.

“There's been some improvement,” Minasian said. “You're going to go through ups and downs. We have a lot of youth on the field. Learning how to play every day is really tough. It’s a difficult thing but I think it’s a great experience for these guys.”

Minasian also has a chance to add to that group of young talent at the Trade Deadline, as the Angels are out of the postseason race and are definitive sellers for the first time in several years. They have several veterans on expiring deals but also have a few players under control behind this year who could draw some interest.

Players with expiring contracts who could draw interest include infielder Brandon Drury, outfielder Kevin Pillar and relievers Carlos Estévez, Hunter Strickland and Luis Garcia. Left fielder Taylor Ward remains under team control through 2026 and could draw interest as well as infielder Luis Rengifo and lefty Tyler Anderson, who are under control through next year.

Minasian, though, appears more likely to trade players on expiring deals unless he gets the right pieces in return. The Angels aren’t looking for a full rebuild and don’t want to get rid of players who will have key roles next year unless they get a return that makes sense.

“For me, it's more of where we're at today,” Minasian said. “The Trade Deadline is still a ways away. You don’t see a lot of moves in early June. But we'll be prepared for everything. But yes, in theory guys who have expiring contracts are easier [to trade] than the guys who have control and will be part of this team going forward. It’s a case-by-case basis.”

Minasian, whose contract ends after this season, said he’s still going to take the long-term approach for the organization despite his contract status. He’s not going to make trades just for the sake of shaking things up, as he still believes there are several core players who can be a part of a better club next season.

He pointed to the rotation as a reason for his optimism next year, as right-hander Griffin Canning, lefty Patrick Sandoval, Soriano and Anderson have all been pitching much better since the start of May. Lefty Reid Detmers has had a rough-go and is currently working on things at Triple-A Salt Lake, while young right-handers Chase Silseth and Sam Bachman are both rehabbing injuries but are close to being healthy.

The Angels still have to decide who starts on Sunday, but it appears left-hander José Suarez will get another shot. So while that last rotation spot is a work in progress, it’s all part of figuring things out for the future of the organization.

“There's the makings of a pretty good rotation going forward,” Minasian said. “We like the group we have. The pitching and the defense have improved over the last month and a half. Offensively, it’s been inconsistent but offense is down across the league.”