1 heavyweight, 1 middleweight, 1 lightweight option for Angels to fill hole at CF

The Los Angeles Angels have long known that Mike Trout's days in center field are over. If there was any doubt, 2025 confirmed that his days as the outfield general (and playing the outfield in general) are over. The 2025 campaign also confirmed that while Jo Adell finally broke out offensively, he cannot handle center field.

That leaves Bryce Teodosio and Nelson Rada as the best internal options. Teodosio got some decent run last season, but a 51 wRC+ over 150 plate appearances simply isn't good enough to cut the mustard. Rada is exciting and might have a chance to steal the job away, but he's still only 20 years old and would benefit from some more seasoning, at least to start the year.

The center field market isn't exactly flush, but there are options at every level that the Angels should consider. They all have their pros and cons, but they ultimately would prove to be upgrades.

One high-end, one mid-tier, and one bargain option for the Angels to fill center field

Cody Bellinger would be an amazing big splash to cover center field

The Angels have been on the periphery of Cody Bellinger's market for some time, and the reason for their interest is obvious. The former Los Angeles Dodger has the versatility to play four different positions  — all three outfield positions, plus first base  — at an above-average level.

Not only that, he's a left-handed bat that would be a huge addition for a team almost completely devoid of them, save for Nolan Schanuel.

Lastly, Bellinger makes a lot of contact and rarely strikes out. Those are appealing traits for the Halos, who finished 2025 dead last in batting average at a .225 mark and recorded the league's worst strikeout rate at 27.1%. Bellinger went down via the K just 13.7% of the time in 2025.

The New York Yankees have made a couple of offers in an attempt to retain the star outfielder, but so far, no team has come close to meeting Bellinger's asking price. Bellinger wants to win, and most of his suitors are contenders, but the 2019 NL MVP has been shut out of the long-term deal he's coveted thus far in his career. If Arte Moreno were to break out the crowbar to pry open his checkbook, there's a real possibility that the Angels could land one of the offseason's biggest fish.

A trade for Byron Buxton would be the best mid-level option

When healthy, Byron Buxton is a superstar. The operative phrase there is "when healthy." Combining him and Trout in the same lineup could either bring two of the best in the game together or could lead to the Angels leading the league in days on the IL.

The 31-year-old Buxton produced 5.0 fWAR in just 126 games played last season. It was just the third time in his career that he managed to top the 100 games played threshold. When healthy, he's a Gold Glove-caliber center fielder and an MVP candidate. But that brittleness knocks him down to the mid-tier level.

The Minnesota Twins have come out and said that they're looking to build around their stars this winter rather than trade them away. But their sole move of consequence, using that term very loosely, has been to sign Josh Bell to a one-year contract. Not exactly what you'd expect from a team trying to contend.

As a result, maybe their comments were a smokescreen designed to drive up the trade return they could get for Buxton and others. With three years and a hair over $45 million remaining on his deal, Buxton is paid a reasonable rate. That will jack up his price on the trade market, but his injury history brings it right back down. That's what makes him the mid-tier option, and he's one the Halos should strongly consider, although it would be a bit of a risk.

Harrison Bader is the lightweight that could raise the floor in center for the Angels

Harrison Bader is coming off a career year in which he slashed .277/.347/.449 with his largest single-season home run tally with 17. However, the peripherals paint a different picture, with a 12th percentile average exit velocity, a 36th percentile hard hit rate, and a 12th percentile K rate. His one saving grace was a slightly above-average barrel rate of 10.2%, which came in at a 60th percentile mark.

However, even if Bader regresses to the mean, there are things to like about his game. He's a solid defender in center, who produced three outs above average in just 568.2 innings of work. He's got some speed on the bases with double-digit steals in each of the past four seasons. Offensively, he's been just a tick below league-average with a career 96 wRC+.

Bader might not wow you, but he's athletic enough to handle the position and can hit well enough to avoid being a total liability. On a relatively affordable, short-term contract, he's not a bad caretaker at the position until Rada is truly ready to ascend.