Angels steal former Giants top prospect in gambit that is just crazy enough to work

Given that the Los Angeles Angels are no longer the free agent destination they once were, general manager Perry Minasian is going to have be a bit creative to bring in talent. Money certainly talks, but owner Arte Moreno has made it clear that he prefers to restrain spending for now and just wants the front office to figure out how to field a winner without spending like one. The Angels helped their own cause by negotiating a buyout with Anthony Rendon, but there has been little indication that is going to change LA's plans much.

It is certainly a puzzle as to how to navigate a flawed roster and very real spending restraints and churn out a winning baseball team. However, the Angels may be taking the right sort of gamble with their latest waiver claim of Wade Meckler who was once a vaunted prospect for the Giants.

Angels claim Wade Meckler off of waivers in intriguing upside play

It is completely fair to be underwhelmed by this move at first glance. Meckler has a grand total of 64 plate appearances in the majors and they all came in 2023 with San Francisco. If you are looking for an obvious savior for the Angels lineup, you may want to adjust your expectations when it comes to Meckler.

However, that doesn't mean Meckler couldn't have some real value for the Angels. Before finally getting designated for assignment by the Giants in late December, Meckler had actually put up intriguing offensive numbers in the minor leagues the last couple of years. While he has never been a masher or a speedster, Meckler definitely has some feel for hitting, plays all three outfield positions, walks a ton, and still hits the ball pretty hard with regularity even if they don't often go over the fence.

The real test will be to see if Meckler can show something against big league pitching, but he could be a very savvy waiver claim. The Angels don't have much in the way of outfield depth beyond Mike Trout and Jo Adell and neither of those guys are completely trustworthy right now. It would be fun if the Angels gave Nelson Rada a shot at the big leagues, but having a versatile backup option like Meckler waiting in the wings is a great step towards fielding a complete and balanced roster while having a slight chance for even more than that.