A fan favorite's 2025 role becomes murky after Angels welcome Yoán Moncada

One of the Angels' biggest holes heading into the offseason was in the infield. Where exactly that hole fell was dependent on where you believed the best place was to play Luis Rengifo. Rengifo figured to lock down either the starting second base role or starting third base role, with his performance being better overall at the hot corner.

Over the course of the offseason, the buzz has grown louder that top prospect Christian Moore is ready and will likely claim the opening-day second base job. All seemed well for Rengifo. Should Moore conquer second base the versatile Rengifo could then slide to his best position and the Halos would be set.

However, earlier this month the Angels outbid the Chicago Cubs to win the services of third baseman Yoán Moncada, signing the former no. 1 overall prospect to a one-year $5 million contract.

Now, a one-year deal for Moncada doesn't scream high-level investment, however, his past pedigree and previous success mean that despite several injury-plagued seasons the soon-to-be 30-year-old will be a priority for the Angels -- potentially pushing Rengifo to the side.

Luis Rengifo's role on the Angels just got a whole lot murkier

Rengifo, who turns 28 later this month, has been on the upswing over the last two seasons. After playing sparingly and struggling offensively during his first three years with the club, he started getting regular playing time in 2022. Fans have always been bullish on Rengifo, and love the way the switch-hitter approaches the game with his positional versatility and bat-to-ball skills.

Rengifo put up a 102 wRC+ in 2022, indicating that he finally was no longer a negative at the plate. 2023 proved to be his breakout, as he hit 16 homers and slashed .264/.339/.444 while posting a 114 wRC+. In 2024, he played as a super-utility man getting regular playing time and reaching yet another gear, batting .300/.347/.417 for a career-best 117 wRC+ before a wrist injury prematurely ended his year after just 78 games.

Rengifo looked poised to finally take on a larger role with the Angels, though off the field things have gotten contentious between the two sides. The team decided to take Rengifo to arbitration over the paltry sum of $150,000 ultimately lost as Rengifo will make $5.95 million this year before hitting free agency at season's end.

Moncada's addition and the likelihood of Moore arriving in the bigs to the second base job sooner rather than later means that once again Rengifo will be pushed into a utility role, except that role already has an owner in the glove-first Kevin Newman who was signed earlier this offseason.

Newman is the better defensive player and isn't a complete non-factor offensively meaning he will likely get the nod over Rengifo more often than not. Of course, Anthony Rendon and his unmovable contract also reside on the roster in what is now a suddenly crowded infield.

Two things seem all but certain, Rengifo will have a smaller role in 2025 than originally anticipated (barring injuries), and 2025 will be his final season in Anaheim. It wouldn't surprise to see him traded at some point this season, perhaps even during spring training if another team were to become desperate enough to make the Angels a worthwhile offer for his services.

Given all of these factors, it looks as though the Angels would've been better off trading him at last year's deadline while his value was at its highest point.

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