Wilson Ramos is a Must Sign for LA Angels

The LA Angels do have a couple of young catchers in their organization, but they are doing their due diligence for options outside of the organization. They are now reported to be in talks for free agent catcher Wilson Ramos, and Billy Eppler needs to do everything he can to sign the veteran.

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The LA Angels have had a long tradition of trotting out defensive-minded catchers who know how to control games. However, with Mike Scioscia now out of the picture, could Billy Eppler and new manager Brad Ausmus opt for a more offensive-minded catcher? If so, Wilson Ramos is the best option they have on the open market.

Ramos played for the Tampa Bay Rays and Cincinnati Reds last season, and was one of the best hitters in the league. He slashed .306/.358/.487 over the course of the year, and was an All Star for the second time in his career. The Angels’ bottom half of their lineup was a major weakness in 2018, and Ramos fills a defensive position the team needs to fill, and will also be a huge boost to a vulnerable part of the lineup.

While Ramos will never compare with Martin Maldonado in terms of defense, he is no slouch in that facet of the game. He is above-average when throwing out potential base-stealers. His fielding percentage was right around the league average, but had only eight passed balls in almost 800 innings of work behind the plate. So while his offense is obviously the highlight of Ramos’ game, his defense will not be a weakness for whichever team signs him.

Hopefully, that team is the Angels. While Jose Briceno did show flashes of potential last season, they have to plan on contending in 2019. Eppler has been vocal about potentially finding a catcher from outside of the organization, and Wilson Ramos is the best catcher available. His price tag won’t be cheap, but this is a player Eppler needs to wave some money at in order to bring him in and contend in the AL West next season.