Fanmail Friday #6 - Will Nelson Rada make the Team if he continues his strong Spring?
Feb 28, 2025 - Written by Brayden Zielke
Photo Credit : @AngelsWin - X
It's that time of the week again. Every Friday, fans have the ability to interact with us directly. A member of the Inside Halos team answers a set of questions submitted by our followers via Instagram or the Q&A Google Form and this weeks questions all came from our Instagram page, @insidehalos. Make sure you mark your calendars and submit your questions for us to be answered every Friday right here on InsideHalos.com!
Q: Do you think Nelson Rada will make the team if he continues his strong Spring Training? (@adriangrgur)
A: While there is always a possibility, I do not think he will make the Opening Day roster. I actually think it would be somewhat foolish to do so. Rada is only 19 years old and only has 3 years of pro ball under his belt and didn’t really impress me in Rocket City last season. He hit .234 with only 1 home run and 31 RBIs. He also had an abysmal .600 OPS. Don’t get me wrong. I think Rada is a hugely talented prospect and will make an impact at the Major League level for years to come. He has elite speed and could be an amazing leadoff guy if he can find more ways to get on base. There also isn’t really an obvious place for him on the team right now. I think that Mickey Moniak has shown more than enough to warrant making the Opening Day team and he probably won’t even start that much if the outfield can avoid injuries. I would really like to see the Angels keep developing Rada in Rocket City and help him become the player that a lot of us see in him.
Q: What is one thing you think has to go right for the Angels to make the playoffs? (@logan_o.hoppe_glazer14)
A: Staying healthy and consistent will be key to making a playoff push this season. I want to see 130+ games from guys like Trout, Ward, Soler, and Schanuel. I want to see Neto bounce back from his injury and play the rest of the season. I want to see O’Hoppe stay healthy but play less than he did last season. Now that we have a reliable backup in Travis d’Arnaud, there is no need for O’Hoppe to catch 136 games this season. Keeping him healthy should be a top priority. I also would like to see consistency from our pitching staff, which is kinda vague. I don’t really know what to expect from some of these guys but I am looking forward to seeing what happens. I know some of these expectations might be a little out there, but I like to think of the 2021 San Francisco Giants. They only had 3 players record a WAR over 4.0 and were a pretty average team on paper. However, they got a career year out of SS Brandon Crawford, who finished 4th in NL MVP voting, and had really solid years from RHP Kevin Gausman and 1B Brandon Belt. They went 107-55 and won the NL West. This proves that any team any year can make the playoffs, but a lot of things need to go right.
Q: If C-Mo makes the Opening Day roster, how impactful will he be at the MLB level? (@johnn_avilaa)
A: I think it would really depend on how much they put on Moore’s shoulders. If they call him up but keep him on the bench, it would definitely hinder his development and wouldn’t be a very good decision. If Moore makes the Opening Day roster, he should be the everyday starter at 2nd Base with Rengifo taking over 3rd, moving Moncada to the bench. Signing a veteran like Moncada makes me think that the Angels will leave Moore in the minor leagues to continue his development, but Moore’s talent is undeniable and once he is in the lineup, he will make an impact.
Q: Who should we draft, Jace LaViolette or Ethan Holliday? (@coolbrad124)
A: If I had to choose one, I would go with Jace LaViolette. I am a huge Los Angeles Rams fan and watch a lot of NFL football. For those who don’t watch football, one thing that is distinctly different from baseball is that most players are added to their teams roster to open the season. In baseball, so many players who are drafted in the first few rounds never really make a huge difference at the Major League Level. This is one of a few reasons that I am actually a pretty big fan of the Angels’ strategy of drafting more developed college prospects instead of high school players who MIGHT have higher upside. I am not denying Ethan Holliday’s talent in any way. I just think that LaViolette fits that mold better and since he is 3 years older than Holliday, he is obviously closer to making an impact at the major league level. While Jace LaViolette has proven more, I definitely wouldn’t be opposed to drafting Holliday if he falls to #2. We still have a lot of college and high school baseball left until the draft in July, so all we can do is sit back and see how the rankings rise and fall.
Q: Thoughts on Tim Anderson making a comeback? (@alegator92)
A: Personally, I’m all for it. Obviously, he struggled with Miami last year, but he has proven to be a very talented baseball player who I think could still make an impact. He’s also on a minor league contract, so the best case scenario is that he makes the major league team and has a positive impact from the bench. Worst case scenario is that he stays in the minor leagues or doesn’t perform at the major league level, resulting in him returning to the minors or getting DFAd.
Q: Who has the most to prove on the team? (@ggonzales_82)
A: I think Yusei Kikuchi has a lot to prove. He has had a very interesting career thus far. Coming out of the NPB, he was a 3x All Star, 1x wins leader, and 1x ERA leader. Kikuchi was heavily coveted after being posted and ended up signing a large deal with the Mariners. He was then an overwhelmingly average pitcher with the Mariners, being named to an All Star game he didn’t really deserve and pitched disappointingly as a Mariner. He became a free agent after the 2021 season, signing a 3 year, $36 mil deal with the Blue Jays. Kikuchi had a career year in 2023 but was again disappointing in 2024 before being traded to the Houston Astros at the deadline. Kikuchi put up career best numbers in 10 starts with Houston before signing with the Angels in November. The Angels signing of Kikuchi garnered some scrutiny when some fans who wanted to sign another big pitcher realized that Kikuchi was signed to be our #1. Kikuchi will have to put up solid numbers to warrant his price tag and to gain the approval of scrutinous fans.
Q: Record prediction for the Angels? (@liambrennan_)
A: MLB records are so hard to predict. I think our ceiling is at about 87-75, and our floor is probably 69-93 if injuries completely derail the season. I think a realistic record prediction would be right at about 80-82. Obviously I am optimistic that the Angels could finally achieve a winning record, but I am struggling to commit to that because it's the Angels. Unfortunately 9 straight losing seasons doesn’t inspire a ton of confidence.
Bonus Qs:
Q: Favorite Ice Cream flavor of all time? (@andre.ubaldo.m)
A: Although I haven’t seen it in stores for quite awhile, the Dreyer's S’mores ice cream is heavenly. Thrifty Chocolate Malted Crunch is amazing as well.
Q: What is your rarest piece of sports memorabilia? (@matthewwalters23)
A: I used to be a bigger collector when I was younger. I ended up selling a lot of my stuff after I graduated high school, including a lot of my David Fletcher card collection, although I still have plenty left. My rarest card is probably my Albert Pujols graded autograph numbered /10. Pujols didn’t sign very much so those are harder to come by. It is for sale (wink wink). I got a Brad Ausmus signed Angels jersey at the Art of the Game booth last season. You don’t see a ton of those out there as he was only the Angels manager for one season. My favorite piece is probably my Rams throwback jersey signed by Eric Dickerson with a “HOF 99” inscription.
Thank you all so much for those who participated this week, if we didn’t get to your question or if you have any questions you want to submit to InsideHalos.com, please click the button to submit your questions for next weeks Fanmail Friday! Thanks and see you next Friday for more!
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