LA Angels Building Farm System

The LA Angels have had one of the worst farm systems in the MLB for some time now. However, that may be changing. After two solid drafts, the Halos went international to land two top-tier prospects on Tuesday.

The LA Angels have added big names such as Jo Adell and Jahmai Jones in recent drafts. However, they still had no Top 100 prospects going into this offseason. That changed on Tuesday, as the Angels took advantage of the Braves’ mistakes.

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The Braves were forced to let go of a dozen international prospects due to infractions when negotiating with these players. Two of the released players were signed by the Halos, the first two of the recently released prospects to sign with another team.

The Halos signed Venezuelan infielder Kevin Maitan on Tuesday morning. The switch-hitting 17-year old signed for $2.2 million, pending a physical. Maitan is currently ranked as the 32nd best prospect in baseball, per MLB.com. Though he is listed as a shortstop, he added weight over the past year and currently projects as a first baseman, though third base is not out of the question given his solid arm strength.

Maitan is the real deal. He has been compared to names such as Miguel Cabrera and Chipper Jones. He has legitimate power from both sides of the plate. Maitan can also hit for average from both sides. The potential impact he can have for a major league club is why Atlanta gave him $4.25 to sign with them last season. He is just 17, and struggled in his first year in pro ball, but it isn’t unreasonable to think Maitan could debut in 2020 if he turns things around.

The Halos also signed Livan Soto shortly after Maitan agreed to terms. Soto is also projected as a shortstop, but this 17-year old has a better chance of sticking at the position than Maitan. He doesn’t have the power that Maitan possesses, but he drives the ball hard consistently. At worst, he’ll be a great utility player for any team.

Next: Halos and Matt Adams Could be a Strong Duo in 2018

Both players were signed using the Angels’ 2018-2019 international free agent money. That means these do not affect the Angels chances at Japanese legend Shohei Ohtani. Billy Eppler was tired of the “worst farm system” label, and made two huge additions. Perhaps a third is on its way in the form of Ohtani…