Angels could have answer for outfield depth following Rays' recent roster cuts

While fans of every team, the Angels included, wait and hope patiently for their newest star players to come in free agency or via trade, there are hundreds of moves being made across the big leagues. The Angels acquired their new starting pitcher Grayson Rodriguez (who they hope can be their ace) in a heist of the Baltimore Orioles, and have been making smaller moves as well to bolster their depth. And they have a chance to continue doing so while filling a position of need in the process. 

With the trading away of Taylor Ward, the Angels lost some corner outfield depth (and gained some financial flexibility). While Mike Trout and Jo Adell are the presumed starters there now, the next guy on the roster would be Jorge Soler. That is not preferable, as Soler’s defensive abilities are - to put it kindly - not the highlight of what he brings to a ball club. And with so many other holes on the roster, the Angels are going to need to fjnd some cheap outfield depth this offseason. And they may have been given that opportunity thanks to the Tampa Bay Rays. 

Christoper Morel was a member of the Chicago Cubs before joining the Rays nearly two years ago. With the Cubs, he consistently produced and was a rock solid player for them. After being traded to the Rays, however, he has just not be able to hit well enough to warrant consistent starts. They waived Morel due to this, which could land him in Anaheim. 

Angels should take a swing on former Rays' outfielder Morel

While Morel did not produce for the Rays, the state of the Angels’ corner outfield is just not that impressive after Trout and Adell. Even if Morel is a bench piece or the fifth outfielder in the organization, he’s the type of depth signing that could help the team survive a 162 game season that will - almost assuredly - see Trout miss some games. After letting go of Gustavo Campero, the Angels’ outfield depth relies on younger, unproven names like Kyren Paris and Nelson Rada, who has yet to debut in the big leagues. 

The Angels cannot afford to pass over players who have both proven they can contribute to winning baseball and are cost-efficient. Morel is both of those, and there is little risk in bringing him in for Spring Training. If he can return to playing similar to his career at Wrigley Field, it will turn one of the weaker depth areas for the Angels into one that the front office won’t have to worry about going into the season.  So whether it is Morel or another former slugger turned waiver wire claim, the Angels need to be aggressive in finding cheap outfield depth after saying goodbye to Ward.