3 players the Angels should have kept on the Opening Day roster over Tim Anderson

The Angels' Opening Day game management featured a few head-scratching decisions, so to has one decision they made in the lead-up to regular season action.

After being one of the worst hitters in baseball over the past two seasons, including a putrid 27 wRC+ in 2024 before being cut by the lowly Marlins, Tim Anderson made the team despite a lackluster spring that featured a .250/.297/.317 line. For some reason, despite his recent track record and pedestrian spring, it never felt like his Opening Day roster spot was in jeopardy despite joining the team on a minor league free agent deal.

Not only did Anderson just make the team, he was their starter at second base and was penciled into the number five spot in the lineup, a stratosphere that even his most ardent supporters would struggle to justify.

Never known for his plate discipline as the owner of a career 3.7% walk-rate, the 2019 batting champion and two-time All-Star has seen his contact skills and speed deteriorate in recent years. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that he went 0-4 in the opener with three strikeouts.

Joining Anderson on the 26-man roster are fellow middle infielders Kevin Newman, Kyren Paris, and Nicky Lopez. While shortstop isn't his best position, Luis Rengifo can play the position in a pinch while also regularly logging time at second base. Zach Neto's impending return will additionally fortify the middle infield.

The presence of those alternatives makes Anderson's inclusion even more confusing. Their primary backup centerfielder is an infielder by trade in Kyren Paris. Simply put, Anderson's inclusion was not a necessary one.

Three other players stand out as better fits, either because of the positional versatility they bring, their performance, their potential, or a combination of the above factors.

If the Angels wanted another veteran presence, J.D. Davis would have made more sense

After struggling in 2024 with a .218/.293/.338 line good for an 86 wRC+, J.D. Davis landed with the Angels on a minor-league deal around the same time as Anderson. While last season was a departure from the majority of his career, Davis was still significantly better in 2024 than Anderson and was coming off a 2023 season that saw him post a 103 wRC+ and 2.1 fWAR.

Spring training started out as poorly as possible for the veteran slugger as he ran a 63.6% strikeout rate through his first six games. However, as the spring went on, he found his groove and finished the warm-up period with a .255/.327/.404 line which was more-or-less in line with his career numbers of .257/.340/.425.

Davis is a "four-corners" type of player with the versatility to play third base, first base, and both corner outfield spots in a pinch. The Halos employ two injury-prone primary third basemen, Yoan Moncada and Luis Rengifo, both of whom missed time this spring with various ailments making Davis a welcome insurance policy.

Furthermore, his right-handed pop would be a welcome backup to Schanuel at first when the matchup dictates. Combine this versatility with a better spring performance and a more inspiring recent career track record, Davis, not Anderson, would've been the better veteran reclamation option to keep coming out of spring training.