The post-Shohei Ohtani era begins Thursday for the Angels.
Life without the two-time MVP begins with the season-opener in Baltimore against the Orioles. The team will visit the Marlins for a three-game series in Miami to start next week before the home-opener Friday April 5 against the Red Sox.
Ohtani's departure came after spending the first six seasons of his major league career with the Angels. He signed the largest contract in professional sports history with the rival Dodgers -- 10 years for $700 million with $680 million deferred.
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Despite Ohtani's heroics, the Angels never had a winning record since he joined the team in 2018.
So what's next?
The Angels are coming off a disappointing 73-89 season. The team declined the option on manager Phil Nevin's contract and later replaced him with Ron Washington, the Atlanta Braves' third base coach for the previous seven seasons. Washington managed the Texas Rangers from 2007-14, guiding them to American League pennants in 2010 and 2011.
The Angels have nine new coaches, with bench coach Ray Montgomery the only returning coach from 2023.
The bulk of the Angels' free agent signing were pitchers, including left-hander reliever Matt Moore, who had a 4-1 record and 2.66 ERA in 41 relief appearances with the Angels in 2023 before being placed on waivers Aug. 29, then briefly pitched for the Cleveland Guardians and Miami Marlins.
With Ohtani being the Angels' opening day starter each of the past two seasons, that role now goes to left-hander Patrick Sandoval, who will be making the first Opening Day start in a major league career that began in 2019. The 2015 graduate of Mission Viejo High School was 7-13 with a 4.11 ERA in 2023.
Sandoval is 0-2 with a 3.86 ERA in three starts against Baltimore. Sandoval allowed seven runs (four earned) and seven hits in five innings in his only 2023 appearance against the Orioles and was charged with the loss in a 10-3 defeat Sept. 6 at Angel Stadium.
Right-hander Corbin Burnes will start for Baltimore after being acquired from the Milwaukee Brewers Feb. 1 in exchange for left-handed reliever DL Hall, infielder Joey Ortiz and future considerations. Burnes was the 2021 National League Cy Young Award recipient and an All-Star selection each of the past three seasons. His 1.069 walks plus hits per inning in 2023 were the fewest among qualifying NL pitchers.
A moment of silence will be held honoring the victims of the collapse of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge and their families and sharing an appreciation for the first responders.
The March 28 opening day is the earliest in Angels history. Their previous earliest opening day was March 29, 2018.
