Angels Opening Day Roster Analysis

So every season begins with a few surprises of who made the roster and who did not... after a lackluster Spring the Angels have a 25-Man roster that is not exactly brimming with surprises. Let's take a deeper look.

Hank Conger wins the catching battle

Jon Hester is not on the opening day roster. The thought was that Conger might be better served working on his catching everyday in Salt Lake, especially as he has options. But now the Angels have a left handed power bat off the bench - as Hank showed with a pinch-hit walk off home run against the Dodgers to end the freeway series - and an offense-first backup catcher. The Angels did not go with Mike Scioscia's heretofore preference of defense-first catchers, nor did they buy an old Scioscia axiom of carrying three catcher on the 25-Man Roster.

Kole Calhoun doesn't make the roster

It is kinda sad, especially with the trade of Vernon Wells opening a spot for a fourth outfielder, but Calhoun had a lousy spring and J.B. Shuck just danced like nobody was watching.

Mark Lowe is an Angel

He wasn't on the team until this weekend and his acquisition seems to be a direct result of David Carpenter imploding in the last few days of Spring Training. The Rangers did not re-sign him in the offseason and the pitching-rich Dodgers cut him, so he may not be the savior we seem to need in the pen, but he is a better arm than some of what we've got. Maybe even superior to most of what we've got.

Garrett Richards to the pen

This home grown sandwich bonus pick had a blistering spring but Tommy Hanson picked up his game after making sure he was not injured. Richards though doesn't go to Salt Lake to stretch out ...no he comes to Anaheim to work out of the pen.

Nick Maronde to the minors

He seemed to be a shoe-in for the starting day bullpen but Maronde's spring could generously be called a setback.