Angels swipe up former AL West rival outfielder

As the Angels continue to pick up series wins behind the strength of their young core, they have made the call for outfield help once again. After trading for first baseman/corner outfielder Lamonte Wade Jr., Perry Minasian went to free agency to bring former American League West rival Ben Gamel into the fold in Anaheim. Gamel was assigned to Triple-A Salt Lake City after being signed, where he'll likely spend a few days getting back into him routine.

Gamel has played for the Houston Astros and Seattle Mariners during his journeyman career, and now adds the Angels to his resume. While he is not with the team yet, there is little doubt he'll be with the big league club soon. Gamel has predominantly been a corner outfielder for most of his career, but has also manned center field and first base at the major league level.

Last season, Gamel had arguably his best season in the MLB. After being an average hitter for most of his career, Gamel saw a slight uptick in production during his time with the Milwuakee Brewers and New York Mets. He was playing in the minor leagues for the Detroit Tigers earlier this year, but was unable to earn a big league promotion and was released last month.

During his career, Gamel has an OPS+ of 109 in games played at Angels Stadium. It is a stadium he is familiar with, and he could provide some consistency off the bench for the Angels. There are pathways to him starting for the Angels as well, especially with Taylor Ward hitting himself into a premier trade target. With Jorge Soler and Mike Trout dealing with injuries as well, there is some open time in right field for the Angels.

Obviously, Lamonte Wade Jr. will be given the chance to start first. He is coming off back-to-back seasons with an OPS+ of 120, and Ron Washington will surely give him a chance to find his old groove in Anaheim. If his struggles continue as he makes his way into town from San Francisco, though, Gamel could be given an extended look.

At the very least, Gamel provides some organizational depth for the Angels outfield. Given that both Soler and Trout have been injured, they simply cannot have too many veterans ready to play right field within the organization. And with his experience in the AL West, maybe Gamel can take revenge against his former teams as he helps the Angels attack the AL Wild Card race.

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