LA Angels: 3 players who could be DFA’d or traded after Albert Pujols release

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Kurt Suzuki, Joe Maddon, Los Angeles Angels (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images) /

Veteran catcher Kurt Suzuki was signed to be a calming presence for the Angels behind the plate and provide some decent offensive production for his spot starts. It’s been a rough go for Suzuki thus far.

He’s seen a little more playing time than anticipated with Max Stassi getting two stints on the injured list, but Suzuki has been struggling as of late. In has last 10 games, Suzuki has gone 5-for-28 (.179 BA) with one home run and two RBIs. His overall slash line for the season sits at .212/.300/.308 with one homer and four RBIs in 61 plate appearances.

It hasn’t been any prettier defensively. The Angels lead the majors with 32 errors and lead the error total from the catcher position with eight this season. Suzuki is tied for the most errors among major-league catchers with four in his 18 games in 2021.

Angels: Kurt Suzuki has performed poorly on offense and defense this season.

It’s hard to find a big-league catcher who is dominant on both sides of the ball. Usually if they are solid defensively they can be weaker on offense and vice versa. It’s not a good sign to be struggling in both departments which is what’s happening with Suzuki right now.

The Angels traded for former Rangers catcher Drew Butera in exchange for cash considerations on Friday. The move was made as a part of some insurance with Stassi hitting in the IL due to a concussion on Thursday.

In one game with the Halos, Butera went 1-for-4 with a double and a run scored. If Butera begins to produce and Suzuki struggles, I think it might be time to consider parting ways with Suzuki once Stassi returns.

There would be little to no financial loss, as Suzuki signed a one-year deal worth $1.5 million for the 2021 season.

His leash might be a little longer given he’s a 37-year-old veteran and he did post a .270 average and a .745 OPS in 2020. If the Angels aren’t competing, Suzuki could be kept around in hopes he begins producing to increase his trade value around the July 30 deadline.

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