The Angels manager and GM discuss plans to bring the team back into contention. There is some good news:

It starts with Garrett Richards, who the Angels are ever more optimistic can avoid Tommy John surgery and pitch in 2017.

Richards threw 25 pitches on Monday in an instructional league, his first competitive outing since he learned he had a damaged ulnar collateral ligament in May. Richards said via text that he felt “great” and hit 97 mph with his fastball.

If Richards can clear the hurdles of two more instructional league games and a subsequent exam, he will be cleared to be a part of the 2017 rotation.

We saw Masahiro Tanaka pitch well enough this year to be in Cy Young contention, as he also avoided Tommy John surgery. The Angels are going to have some money to spend as well.

First, the Angels have about $40 million coming off the books with the departure of free agents Jered Weaver and C.J. Wilson. They are also entering the final year of their commitment to Josh Hamilton.

After having a payroll of just more than $160 million in 2016, they currently have commitments of about $123 million for 2017, assuming they pick up Yunel Escobar’s option and including their arbitration-eligible players.

As far as the luxury tax – which is based on averages, not actual salaries – the Angels are currently at about $140 million. The $189 million threshold is likely to go up with a new collective bargaining agreement, which is expected to be finalized in the next six weeks.

Mike Trout gives them a solid foundation on his own. A bunch of two to three war players around Trout goes a long way to getting them back toward the playoffs.