Angels must gouge bench pieces if they want to truly be taken seriously

When one looks at the Angels' lineup everyday, it looks like a competent group of players (assuming everyone is healthy). There is a young trio leading things in Zach Neto, Nolan Schanuel (who has been the Halos' best hitter this year), and Logan O'Hoppe. Veteran presence is brought in by Mike Trout, Taylor Ward, and Jorge Soler. Jo Adell has morphed into one of the best bats in the league while Christian Moore continues to find his footing in the major leagues. Outside of Luis Rengifo, there are no glaring holes in the starting lineup.

The bench, however, has been a different story. The Angels finally optioned Scott Kingery with Soler is on his way back to right field. Kingery had posted an embarrassing OPS+ of 20 so far this season. No matter how much defensive versatility he brings, Kingery was never worth a roster spot in the big leagues.

His counterpart, Kevin Newman, has also somehow managed to stick as a bench piece in Anaheim. With an OPS+ of 29, there is just no reason to have him on the active roster. He has provided exactly one good moment this season, and has a handful of pathetic moments to counter it with as evidenced by his WAR of -0.9.

Travis d'Arnaud had a productive June and has proven himself as a backup catcher, though his inability to play first base has required the Angels to keep Lamonte Wade Jr. on the roster. After trading for the formr Giants player, the Angels have yet to see a good performance from Wade Jr. His OPS+ sits at 21, and he does not even have the defensive versatility argument that Newman and Kingery do.

The Angels made the right choice to sent Kingery down, but they can't stop there if they wish to survive what will surely be a grueling July schedule. Getting negative value from your bench pieces cannot be an option anymore, and the Angels need to look both in their own organization for answers as well as outside.

Kyren Paris should be the first name the Angels consider. He can play second base, center field, and has flashed potential at shortstop during his recent, brief stint in Anaheim. While his slump earlier this year was pathetic and the idea of getting him regular at-bats in AAA is attractive, this Halo team can win baseball games and needs Paris on the bench to fill in when needed if they hope to make the postseason.

Chad Stevens is a fantastic option as well. He has logged innings at literally every position outside of center field and catcher, and would allow the Angels to part ways with Wade Jr. as Stevens could fill in at first base in a pinch. With an OPS of .928, there is little doubt that Stevens could provide plenty more offensive juice than any of the curent bench options in Anaheim.

All in all, the Angels just simply cannot afford to continue giving at-bats to aging veterans who just don't produce anymore. They need to turn this backup group completely over, and infuse it with the young talent they have sitting in Salt Lake. And if that does not work, they need to look outside of the organization for answers.

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