Angels’ Spring Training Battles: Second Base

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Angels’ General Manager Jerry Dipoto has done a nice job this winter of assembling depth all over the roster. As with any club with a wealth of talent, there will be some tough decisions to make this spring regarding the final spots on the roster. With position players set to report to spring training next week, we thought it would be an appropriate time to break down the most intriguing Angels’ position battles.

This afternoon we will discuss the hotly contested second base competition. For the first time since 2006, the Angels will have someone other than Howie Kendrick at second base on opening day. The Halos shipped their all-star middle infielder to the Los Angeles Dodgers this winter in exchange for 23-year-old southpaw Andrew Heaney.

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Thankfully, Dipoto and his staff have been busy this winter acquiring viable infielders ready to step in and contribute immediately. The Angels already had a capable replacement in Grant Green, but they obviously did not feel comfortable just handing him the job. The club dealt for Josh Rutledge from the Colorado Rockies immediately after dealing Kendrick. Johnny Giavotella was claimed off waivers from the Kansas City Royals this offseason to compete at second base. The Angels acquired Taylor Featherston during the rule 5 draft to further deepen the depth at the keystone position. The departure of Kendrick left a big hole at second, and the Angels will likely carry two of the names on this list on their 25-man roster in an attempt to fill the void.

The second base competition is expected to be a close race, and should be fun to watch this spring. We will begin the list with Josh Rutledge, who is the slight favorite to win the starting job this spring in Tempe.

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