Will The Loss Of Bobby Wilson Make An Impact On The Angels’ Plans For 2013?

If you were looking at recent MLB transactions, you may have seen that Bobby Wilson was claimed on waivers by the Toronto Blue Jays today. On the surface of it, losing a career .208 hitter who was going to be Chris Iannetta‘s backup anyway may not be that big a deal. He may have been non-tendered anyway. However, this move may have an impact on what the team may do this off-season.

Sep 12, 2012; Anaheim, CA, USA; Los Angeles Angels catcher Bobby Wilson (46) before the game against the Oakland Athletics at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-US PRESSWIRE

The loss of Wilson leaves them without a backup catcher. John Hester could fill that role. He hit .212 in 37 games last year. They could look outside the organization. If Chris Snyder‘s option isn’t picked up he could be an option. If Jose Molina‘s option isn’t picked up they could bring him back as well. The interesting option could be Hank Conger.The former uber-prospect Conger has seen his stock fall of late. However, with the dearth of catching around the major leagues, Conger does still have some value. If they trade Conger to upgrade in another area, they need to figure out another to way to upgrade the catching depth. Iannetta has never played more than 112 games in a season before. Chances are the backup catcher will need to play a little bit and that’s where someone like Conger can have some value to the Angels.

Sometimes it’s the little moves that end up making the biggest impact. The Angels loss of Wilson could have a domino effect on what the Angels’ off-season moves may look like. Just something to keep an eye on moving forward.