Adam Frazier's versatility helped facilitate the Angels' latest spring roster trick

Adam Frazier may have received a non-roster invite to spring training, but he's more than proven that he belongs on the Los Angeles Angels Opening Day roster. Frazier is hitting .353 this spring with an .888 OPS through his first nine Cactus League games, and adds a left-handed bat to the lineup — something the Halos are severely lacking.

Moreover, the veteran can play all over the diamond. While Frazier could very well be the Angels' Opening Day second baseman, he's seen plenty of time in the outfield this spring. He played four different positions last season while splitting time between the Pirates and Royals, and could serve in a similar capacity this season in Anaheim.

Given that versatility, and some other plans the Angels clearly have in the works, it isn't all that surprising that LA decided to go ahead and send Christian Moore (along with Kyren Paris) back over to minor league camp.

Adam Frazier's versatility helped the Angels clear Christian Moore logjam

Carrying Frazier on the Opening Day roster will allow the Angels to kill two birds with one stone. Rather than adding Bryce Teodosio — a player who has minor league options remaining — Los Angeles can keep infielders Oswald Peraza, Jeimer Candelario, and Vaughn Grissom on the active roster while rotating Frazier between the infield dirt and outfield grass. In turn, Moore gets the chance to get more reps at third base in the minors without the pressures of being in the big leagues to be more versatile as well.

Teodosio is a terrific defender, but his bat lags behind his glove. The Angels are expecting Mike Trout to return to center field in 2026, and while that's a dangerous proposition, the Halos aren't going to bench a future Hall of Famer for a platoon bat like Teodosio. Both Jo Adell and Josh Lowe can fill in (albeit poorly) if Trout needs a day off in center field.

Candelario is a shoo-in for the Angels' Opening Day roster at this point, and seeing as how he'll need a spot on the 40-man roster, LA could decide to just DFA Grissom in order to free up some extra space. But if the Angels prefer to keep the former top prospect around for the first few weeks of the 2026 season, Moore can be bumped back to Triple-A until Grissom proves that he's not up to the task, which is exactly what the Angels did.

Having a player like Frazier can be invaluable for a manager, especially at the outset of the season. Once the first few weeks are in the rearview mirror, Angels skipper Kurt Suzuki will have a better handle on where his players stand against the competition, and more informed roster decisions can be made.

For now, Frazier can help the Halos from making an early-season mistake and cover up any flaws that may linger into the first few weeks of their 2026 campaign.