Nevin making house calls, staying in contact with Angels stars

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 -- Angels manager Phil Nevin has made it a point to reach out to his players this offseason to keep regular communication -- and he said he’s even taken a few players out to dinner, including David Fletcher and Max Stassi.

Nevin, who served as interim manager for 106 games last year and signed a one-year deal for 2023, said he believes it will help the clubhouse chemistry, as he wants the players to know that he’s there for them.

“I've gone around, and I met with all of our players and tried to reach out to each one,” Nevin said. “Those relationships we created those last three months of the season, I thought, were invaluable to our group. Want to keep those going, whether it's through text messages, getting some face-to-face time with guys. For me, that's huge. That clubhouse and that group and the relationships we've all created -- I want them to keep being strong.”

Nevin said Fletcher was in good spirits and is physically stronger after dealing with a left hip/core injury that ultimately required surgery. Fletcher, who is signed through 2025 with team options for '26 and '27, is expected to see action at shortstop and second base next season.

“It was a challenging year for Fletch,” Nevin said. “The injury he had is a very difficult one to deal with, with the core injury. And I think he understands he needs to add a little bit to his body, add some flexibility but also add some strength. And it's not something that has been his strong point in the past. I think we saw glimpses of what the old Fletch was toward the end of the year. But at the end of the day, adding a little bit of strength to him as well will help a little bit. He looked good. His shoulders looked a little broader.”

Nevin said it’s still too early to know where Fletcher will play, as the Angels could still add a middle infielder via free agency or trade. They also have Luis Rengifo, Andrew Velazquez and Livan Soto in the mix, while Gio Urshela could also see action in the middle infield. The Halos didn’t land any of the major free-agent shortstops, as Carlos Correa, Xander Bogaerts, Trea Turner and Dansby Swanson signed elsewhere. But they could still target a second baseman, like Jean Segura, or add a veteran shortstop, such as Elvis Andrus or José Iglesias.

"There's so many things that are going to happen before Opening Day,” Nevin said. “The fact is we have a lot of options, we have a lot of depth, and it's something that we struggled with in the past when we've had injuries. You don't plan to have injuries, but the fact is they happen. And we know we're deeper."

As for Stassi, Nevin said he believes he’ll bounce back after a down year offensively. The Angels, though, were surprisingly in the market for catcher Willson Contreras before he ultimately signed with the Cardinals for five years and $87.5 million. So there remains a chance the Halos will add to their catching depth -- but Nevin has faith in Stassi to be the primary catcher, with top prospect Logan O’Hoppe and Matt Thaiss competing for the backup role.

"I was in Chicago for a football game a few weeks back, and I took Max out to dinner," Nevin said. "He's in a great place right now."

Nevin said he’s also had regular communication with third baseman Anthony Rendon, who is coming off another injury-marred year that saw him undergo right wrist surgery, but Nevin said Rendon is feeling great physically.

"I talked to Anthony quite a bit," Nevin said. "He left the season last year very healthy. We got him back on the field those last couple of days without having any rehab starts, just doing stuff in practice leading up to that, which is not normal. But there's something for him, for his peace of mind, to know that he was ready to go. And now he's spending the winter just adding to his body strength, adding to what he can do. He's never felt better."