Trout didn’t pitch a single inning in center field. He made 22 starts in right field, none after late April. Still, general manager Perry Minasian told reporters this week that the Halos could have Trout bouncing around the outfield next season. That could mean some playing time at center.
“I’m not ruling anything out,” said the GM (link via Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com). “We’ll see what the team looks like when we get to Spring Training and what’s in place and what gives us the best chance to win games. (He) might play center. One day he might play left. One day he might be DHing.”
As Minasian noted, a lot could depend on what the rest of the offseason looks like. The Angels entered the winter with a logjam in the corners. That’s not so much the case after they acted Taylor district for Grayson Rodriguez. It would still be ideal to get Trout playing the outfield regularly again, especially if they want to give Jorge Soler a rebound opportunity.
Soler was supposed to be a DH, but was forced to start 39 games in right field (with predictably poor results) due to Trout’s injury. The angels gave I Adel 724 innings in center field. He was arguably the worst defensive center fielder in the MLB and found himself back in right field for the final two months of the season. The best defensive lineup has Trout on the left, Adell on the right and Soler at DH.
That requires someone else to become the regular midfielder. Bryce Theodosio is an excellent defender, but he’s hitting .203/.248/.304 in 50 games. Kyren Paris And Matthew Lugo got a handful of center field starts, but didn’t hit well either. They probably don’t want Trout playing there every day.
The Angels are so aggressive with their prospect promotions that it’s probably not out of the question that the 20-year-old Nelson Rada gets the chance to break camp. He is a speedster and potential defenseman who split his age 19 season between Double-A and Triple-A. Rada stole 54 bases, reaching base at a stellar .398 clip behind a 12.7% walk rate. He’s a gifted pure hitter, but has essentially no power in his 6-foot-4 frame. He hit just two home runs this year and has six longballs in his professional career. Baseball America ranks him as the #4 prospect and top position player talent in a weak Halos farm system.
Even if Rada starts the season at Triple-A Salt Lake, it’s likely he’ll play somewhere in the Majors next season. That could give them enough confidence to coordinate matters internally. “Should we get a midfielder? Not necessarily,” Minasian said. “We have a number of players that we think can fill the position and obviously Teodosio can play at a very high level defensively. It’s more player-specific. … I wouldn’t say it’s a must, but is it an area we’re looking at? Absolutely.”
As is often the case, the midfield offering is limited. Harrison Bader is the only regular draft available in free agency unless a team feels Cody Bellinger could return to the position in a day-to-day capacity. Luis Robert Jr. is a long-term trading opportunity. The Astros are shopping Jake Meyers but wants MLB to start pitching, which the Angels don’t have in abundance. A role player like Nathan Lucas or Jacob Jong come could be available, but may not move the needle enough for the Halos to prioritize it.
The Angels have several other needs that must be balanced against their midfield situation. They should add a multi-position infielder who can handle both second and third base. They need at least one starting pitcher and one or two high-leverage relievers, ideally those who throw from the right side. Minasian confirmed this afternoon that they are still in the bullpen market after signing Drew Pomeranz And Jordan Romano last night (via Bollinger). An outside addition could push Robert Stephenson And Ben Joyce to succeed Kenley Jansen in the ninth. “There’s no location closer right now. We’re still looking at the bullpen. It’s not an area where we’re ready,” Minasian said.
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