Last offseason, the Angels moved Mike Trout out of center field. They hoped that he’s stay healthier as an everyday right fielder after he’d been limited to 82 games or fewer in three of the previous four seasons. Things didn’t go as planned, as Trout suffered a bone bruise in his left knee that cost him almost all of May. He avoided the injured list the rest of the way but was a full-time designated hitter.
Trout didn’t log a single inning in center field. He made 22 starts in right, none after the end of April. Nevertheless, general manager Perry Minasian told reporters this week that the Halos could bounce Trout around the outfield next season. That might include some playing time back up the middle.
“I’m not ruling anything out,” the GM said (link via Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com). “We’ll see where 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 be playing center. One day might be playing left. One day might be DHing.”
As Minasian noted, a lot could depend on what the remainder 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 traded Taylor Ward for Grayson Rodriguez. It’d still be ideal to have Trout playing regularly in the outfield again, especially if they want to give Jorge Soler a rebound opportunity.
Soler should be a DH but was forced to start 39 games in right field (with predictably poor results) by Trout’s injury. The Angels gave Jo Adell 724 innings in center field. He was arguably the worst defensive center fielder in MLB and found himself back in right field for the final two months of the season. The best defensive alignment has Trout in left, Adell in right, and Soler at DH.
That requires someone else to step up as the regular center fielder. Bryce Teodosio is an excellent defender, but he’s coming off a .203/.248/.304 showing in 50 games. Kyren Paris and Matthew Lugo picked up a handful of center field starts but didn’t hit well either. They presumably don’t want Trout playing there on an everyday basis.
The Angels are so aggressive with their prospect promotions that it’s probably not out of the question that 20-year-old Nelson Rada gets a chance to break camp. He’s a speedster and potential plus defender who split his age-19 season between Double-A and Triple-A. Rada stole 54 bases and reached base at fantastic .398 clip behind a 12.7% walk rate. He’s a gifted pure hitter but has essentially no power upside in his 5’9″ frame. He hit just two home runs this year and has six longballs in his professional career. Baseball America ranks him the #4 prospect and the top position player talent in a weak Halos’ farm system.
Even if Rada begins the season at Triple-A Salt Lake, it’s likely he’ll be in the majors at some point next season. That could give them enough confidence to patch things together at the position internally. “Do we have to go get a center fielder? Not necessarily,” Minasian said. “We have some players that we believe can fill the position and obviously, Teodosio can play defense at a very high level. 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 center field supply is limited. Harrison Bader is the only regular available in free agency, unless a team feels Cody Bellinger could move back to the position in an everyday capacity. Luis Robert Jr. is a long shot trade possibility. The Astros are shopping Jake Meyers but want MLB starting pitching, which the Angels don’t have in abundance. A role player like Nathan Lukes or Jacob Young come could available but may not move the needle enough for the Halos to prioritize them.
The Angels have various other needs to weigh against their center field situation. They should add a multi-positional infielder who can handle both second and third base. They need at least one starting pitcher and one or two high-leverage relievers, ideally ones who throw from the right side. Minasian confirmed this afternoon that they’re 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 set closer right now. We’re still looking at the bullpen. It’s not an area where we’re done,” Minasian said.
Ummmm…. Why expose him to playing in CF?
Ruh roh
Ummm because he’s a exceptional CF?
KFCF
That may be addressed in the article
I appreciate your point. I would rarely make that type of comment because a player got injured or just began to suck. But Rendon is a special case because of his comments that the game just isn’t that important or interesting to him. Maybe he shouldn’t have to give any money back, but he sure owes fans and teammates an apology.
Top100
“he sure owes fans and teammates an apology.”
No. He doesn’t.
The fans and teammates didn’t sign the contract.
You want better, but it doesn’t always happen.
Willie Mays, hopefully Hayes and not the Met kind
Why on earth would they even consider this when the guy struggles to stay healthy even as a DH? He has a degenerative back condition. They should be focusing on getting every ounce of whatever production he has left at the plate.
Oh wait, it’s the Angels, that’s why they are considering it.
They should just pencil in Rendon to play CF and if he refuses, try to take away his salary.
hc
No. They should not do that
Why do so so many “fans” hate baseball players?
You literally cannot take his salary away. It’s a contract.
And what happens if he gets a sudden soft tissue injury? Can’t really scan properly for those. Oops my obliques hurt. Wait, it’s back spasms and pulled follicles.
The point is, they are stuck.
Face palm! DH most and some RF.
Replace RF with LF and you have your answer.
Trout doesn’t have the arm for RF, takes awful routes there, was quite poor in limited time in an unfamiliar position. He’s been destined for LF for years, but no one has the guts to stare down his ego and put him there. (When he’s not DHing that is.)
If I recall, when he played LF in deference to Bourjos many years ago, he seemed to do alright.
Agree 100 percent. Trout belongs in LF.
LAA Anger Translation: We have no other options so our old CF might be our new CF
That’s the answer!
Good. Trout is a CFer not a RFer. Keep him where he belongs.
@oldyork. Especially this year. The free agency market is thin. They don’t have enough prospects unless they want to set everything back 5 years. The only thing i see is bleday, and weimer. Trout playing center this year makes more sense and they can find a left fielder. His defensive value would cover most of the contract this year, and you put him as the permanent dh next.
Trout’s knees acted up just reading this article
Insane that there’s still FIVE years left on that deal. Oof.
@Trillion Yeah esp when you consider 29 other teams would like to have him for those 5 years.
Not for $185+ mil. Trout is a shell of himself. 2019 was a while ago….
@jerry. What about 2022? Sorry for the inconvenience I follow the angels
’22 was a while ago too. Point being Trout is an average DH at this point if they wanna keep him in the lineup. Not gunna last the season on the field….
@jerry. He might not last at DH. He provides value at center. Who’s playing center I’ll wait.
Be asking the same question when he’s on the IL….
@jerry. Still going to win 72 games if he’s the DH. So that’s the point it doesn’t matter. He has more value at cf. Bader is probably going to be a overpay, and it looks like they aren’t spending. Do you go with a offensive blackhole in teodosio at center or just get a left fielder, and ride it out until trout breaks same difference and its another punted year.
He has had one good year since 2019 and that was three years ago. He’s 34 with chronic injuries and is getting paid $185M until he’s 39. No, 29 teams do not want that contract.
Getting Trout is not a baseball decision. Owners know what sells seats. GM’s may vehimontly oppose, though.
He needs to be the full time DH for that team if they want him to even play out the next 2 of the remaining 5 years on that contract. Putting him in the outfield, even more so center field, seems foolish and shortsighted.
Dude’s body is going to crumble to bits running back for a deep fly ball
This is part of why the Angels stink so badly, that they’d willingly put an inadequate fielder in CF, and also fail to recognize that Trout should be strictly a DH. Anyways, it doesn’t matter, they’re ruined as a franchise until Trout’s contract is over.
@luke. You fail to realize that trout didn’t want to move from center last year was the only year he budged. I agree it doesn’t matter he could get injured going to the dugout. I say this year you say screw it. He does give you value in center if he gets hurt at DH its the samething
Angels gonna Angel…..
Couldn’t stay healthy as a DH so let’s put him back in CF?
Angels could sign Harrison Bader or J.J. Bleday, or even Bellinger to play CF and try to keep Trout’s bat in the lineup as a RF/DH option. Apparently they never do learn
What would it take for the Angels to get Javier Baez and partial salary relief over the last two years of his contract from the Tigers?
Far from a great solution, but at least Baez could play a decent CF and cover the backup IF innings that Rengifo is thankfully no longer around to play.
Baez is, right now, a little better than Kyren Paris.
But, he’s not THAT much better.
And Kyren can play a mean CF to boot.
Even with salary relief, Kyren is probably the better option for the role you describe..
@agentx. Yeah i don’t see that happening. It would have to be soler going back. My only hope is the Phillies would take him from castellanos, saves them 6 million. It would free up the DH if he could play 1st and 3rd, lf, but either way its still screwed. Im convinced its a tank year might as well just eat soler and rendon salary this year hope you can trade the one year contracts or fliers.
Yeah, Soler for Castellanos could work… though the latter’s probably just a DH at this point.
Before the Ward-Rodriiguez trade, some commenters suggested the Angeles and Phillies might build a deal around Ward, Soler, Castellanos, and Bohm, but that ship has sailed (and LAA is better off with Rodriguez).
shame the angels wasted all of trout’s prime years .. now they’re left with a broken down mess .. should’ve joined Harper in philly when he had the chance
@alstott40. Does the city of brotherly love offer injury immunity. He doesn’t care about living in Philly. He visits in the offseason.
I’m pretty sure they can find some more garbage to place in her field
I’m pretty sure they can find some more garbage to put on centerfield
How does Perry Minasian still have a job? Five full seasons as GM and zero playoff appearances. In those five years, in division, the team has finished 4th, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 5th. The most games they won on his watch was 77 in 2021 (his first season). And it’s not like he’s spent the five years building an amazing farm system. They rank near the bottom right now in most rankings.
Arte Moreno. And he’s on his final year. Everyone expects a new GM for 2027.
How is it that the Angles Minor League system ranks at the bottom, yet the Angels system had 5 players taken in the Minor League portion of the Rule 5 draft, which is more than any other team I. All of MLB?
Ese gerente lo q es es un idiota porque todo el mundo sabe q el lo que debe ser es DH para q se mantenga con más posibilidades de estar sano.
Trout is the best outfielder/hitter the Angels currently have. If Trout feels healthy and can rotate through the outfield, it would definitely make the Angels deeper and allow the Angels to sign a guy like Bregman to play 3rd base, and be a middle of the order bat. Trout’s previous injuries weren’t while he was playing in the outfield.
Maybe the Angels could still have enough money to sign a top to middle rotation pitcher also. That along with some luck and health could be enough to get the Angels above .500 and possibly into the playoffs next year.
No one fears the Angels hitters or pitchers. I went to a game at the stadium this past August and it looked like a minor league lineup.
Get a new owner who actually cares about winning on a regular basis.
Trout was great in his prime, but that’s gone. Too many injuries.
Sign Harrison Bader to a one year deal with a club option and play him in CF and move Trout to LF.
Sign Arraez to a similar deal so the team has an idea how to make contact and not strikeout.
Sign Bassitt on a similar deal so the pitchers know how to pound the strike zone.
Mets are giving away infielders and Senga. Get a 2B or 3B for a farm players. Luis Acuna has speed and Vientos some pop.
Why can’t Trout play left field? Adell should be playing right. Soler should be the DH. Ward is gone. Seems like a no brainer to put Trout in left. He does bot possess a strong arm, so wouldn’t left make more sense?