Angels’ Moises Ballesteros trade is looking better, but he must answer this one key question

When the Los Angeles Angels acquired Moises Ballesteros in a deal with the Cubs for reliever Ryan Zeferjahn, it seemed like a bit of a head scratcher, especially since the young slugger struggled so much at the plate. Despite being touted as a big time bat, Ballesteros experienced a severe power outage through his first 100 at-bats with the Angels. And without his bat to lead the way, Ballesteros doesn’t provide much value to the team. But his slumbering bat has shown signs of waking up in September, just leaving his glove as the only question mark surrounding the young player.

With time and continued improvement, the move to acquire him could pay off tenfold for the Angels. The stout lefty has a naturally smooth swing that could inflict serious damage at Angel Stadium. With a career OPS of .820 in six minor league seasons, Ballesteros projects as an above-average hitter. The Angels will just have to figure out where to play him if they intend to keep him around long-term.   

It's hard to build a good roster in Major League Baseball. Just ask the Angels. It takes more than one or two generational talents on your team to win ball games consistently. And it takes more than a month or two to develop prospects. Unfortunately for the Angels’ fan base, it appears that the team will have plenty of time for that development. 

With the team at least a year or two from becoming competitive in the AL West again, Ballesteros will likely have all the time he needs to excel at the Major League level. That includes finding his role on the defensive side. 

Moises Ballesteros may force the Angels into a tough position 

As one of the highest rated prospects in the Cubs’ minor league system for years, Ballesteros has proven to be capable of hitting at every level he's played at. That’s never been the question about him. And at just 22 years old, his power swing will likely develop over time, turning him into a very dangerous weapon in the lineup, especially behind hitters like Zach Neto and Mike Trout.

If he is unable to play MLB-level defense anywhere on the diamond, Ballesteros' future is limited to DH. However, employing a full-time DH is a hard pill for teams to swallow in 2026. Unless your name is Kyle Schwarber or Yordan Álvarez, it's tough for a team to justify dedicating a roster spot for a player who can only play one side of the ball. Teams often enjoy having the flexibility to rotate position players and having more versatility on the roster. Just look at Luis Arráez. He took a look around the league and decided to rebuild his entire defensive game in order to avoid becoming a redundancy. 

As it stands now, Ballesteros’ days as a catcher could be numbered as we look past 2026. He’s neither an accomplished framer or a catcher who has shown any skill at blocking pitches. While he hasn’t logged enough time in the Majors to write him off just yet, he has his work cut out for him. 

Much like Arráez, Ballesteros will need to figure out where his glove best suits him. If it's not behind the plate, that means that his ability to play effective first base will be put to the test over the next year or two. But if you ever watched the movie Moneyball, that switch may come with just a slight learning curve. Tell em’, Wash. 

Ballesteros will be given plenty of time to try and lock down a role as the team’s starting catcher or first baseman. But how long of a leash will the Angels be willing to give him down the road as they attempt to build a contending team? With former starting catcher Logan O'Hoppe already graded as the worst defensive catcher in all of baseball, the bar is pretty low. So the Angels may be willing to extend that leash an extra notch or two for Ballesteros. If they're lucky, they might have another core player to build around.   

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