Is LA Angels C.J. Cron’s Starting Job In Jeopardy?

LA Angels 1st baseman C.J. Cron has been starting to show signs of becoming the first baseman the Angels have been hoping for since he first came up in 2014. Cron has yet to play a full season due to injuries & ineffectiveness.

Cron was drafted by the LA Angels in the first round back in 2011.  The Angels have been hoping that Cron would make up for the power they lost when they traded Mark Trumbo during the winter of 2013 to get pitchers Hector Santiago and Tyler Skaggs.

Cron has played in 113 games in 2015 and 116 games in 2016.  In 2015 Cron’s poor start caused him to be sent back to the minors in early June.  Cron returned with a vengeance and finished the season with a .262 batting average and 16 homers with 51 RBI’s.  Last season Cron was having a great year until a fastball thrown by the Orioles Michael Wright broke his left hand knocking Cron out for 33 games.

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Cron still finished with good numbers hitting a career high .278 with 16 homers and 69 RBI’s.  Cron had no real slump like he did in 2015 and was showing signs of becoming a potential all-star. However, the Angels hungry for some power from the left side of the plate signed first/third baseman Luis Valbuena to a two-year contract last month.

Valbuena hit .260 with 13 homers and driving in 40 RBI’s in only 90 games last season. The two years prior Valbuena hit a combined 41 homers and drove in 107 runs while batting .237.  So the question has become what is the plan for Valbuena?

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The possibilities are that Valbuena may spell Cron and Yunel Escobar at first and third base.  Another possibility is that he could also DH against some righties.  However, many people I have been hearing on local radio have been saying Valbuena and Cron may platoon at first base.

Not too sure how C.J. feels about this or will feel if actually happens.  Are the Angels just take of the progress that C.J. has made and throw it out the window? Hopefully not as I think Cron  could be a 25 homer and 100 RBI guy every year.

This is nothing against Valbuena and I don’t mind him playing occasionally at first base or DH in place of Cron, but I think Cron should be the every day first baseman unless he proves he can’t handle it.

Next: Angels have plenty of pitchers in reserve

I guess we will just have to see how Cron and Valbuena do during Spring Training and another factor will be if Albert Pujols is able to start the season in the majors or if he will need a few extra weeks to recover from his off-season foot surgery.  It will definitely be something to follow and we will do so here at Halo Hangout so stay tuned.