2 former Angels players they should re-sign and 2 they should not

Detroit Tigers v Los Angeles Angels
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Gio Urshela

The logic that led to the Angels signing Gio Urshela before the 2023 season still remains before the 2025 season. The Angels could use Urshela's skillset, particularly on a minor league deal. He could be a useful depth option at third base, a position of extreme turmoil for the Angels. Urshela was fine for the Angels in '23 before he was lost for the season due to a fractured left pelvis. He had a .299 batting average and played all over the infield.

It was a tale of two cities for Urshela in 2024. He was ineffectual with Detroit, but a spark plug with Atlanta. In only 36 games with the Braves, Urshela's 4.4 defensive fWAR ranked fifth amongst their position players. His OAA ranked in the 86th percentile last season.

The Angels brought in Kevin Newman and Scott Kingery as their utility players, who will fill-in for Zach Neto while he is on the shelf (and inevitably Anthony Rendon). They still have Luis Rengifo as well. The Angels are valuing veterans with great makeup this offseason, and Urshela fits the bill there still. His defense was great last year and the Angels have a lot of sinkerballers who generate a lot of ground balls. Adding Urshela as organizational depth given his Braves production makes sense, so why not sign him?

If the Angels need a player to come in and make a spark if Rengifo, Rendon, Newman, and/or Kingery get injured or are ineffective, they should opt for a younger player. If they need a third baseman, Matthew Lugo has experience at that position. They just added Lugo to their 40-man roster to protect him from being taken in the Rule-5 Draft, and he should be MLB ready at some point next season coming off of a hand injury. The 23-year-old could, and should, be moved back to the infield for the Angels, as they are in need of infield depth more than outfield depth next season.

How about giving Christian Moore a shot? Moore was on-track to make his MLB debut in the same year he was drafted, and should be on the same trajectory next season. A youth movement in the wake of their veterans' potential unproductiveness would behoove the Angels next year.

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