Marlins' outfielder presents out-of-the-box centerfield trade target for the Angels

What's one thing the Angels have been lacking? Where did the club repeatedly strike out in their pursuits this offseason? That's right, while they addressed a lot of holes over the winter, the one thing they whiffed on repeatedly was adding a power bat to the outfield, specifically a left-handed one.

Left-handed power was the idea when the team pursued Anthony Santander, ultimately falling short. Santander, a poor defender who is limited to a corner outfield spot, would've been a bad fit following the team's last decision to move their most important player, Mike Trout, to right field from center.

A lack of foresight has left the Halos with two less-than-ideal options to take over center in Jo Adell and Mickey Moniak. Adell struggled for years defensively in right field before finally getting his act together last year. The former top prospect's bat, much like his glove, is still a work in progress.

Moniak, on the other hand, is a capable defender in center, but his offense leaves a lot to be desired with elevated strikeout rates, minuscule walk rates, and a complete ineptitude when it comes to hitting lefties.

The depth is limited beyond those two, and only a couple of unorthodox options -- infielders Tim Anderson and Luis Rengifo -- exist as other borderline possibilities should the two primary candidates struggle.

The free-agent market is tapped out, but perhaps the Angels could get creative with a trade to find a player who can solve their needs both for reliability in center while adding power from the left side.

Always looking to save a dollar, the Miami Marlins could be convinced to part with Jesús Sánchez

The Marlins have decided to give Jesús Sánchez some work in centerfield during spring training, according to MLB Trade Rumors. Sánchez, 27, has primarily been a right fielder throughout his career but does have some past experience in center as well. As noted in the MLB Trade Rumors piece, Sánchez is a trade candidate this season and a non-tender candidate in the coming offseason as his salary, currently $4.5 million, is set to rise over the next two years.

As a right fielder, Sánchez has been roughly an average defender recording 2 outs above average and -2 defensive runs saved last season. He last regularly saw center field reps in 2022 where he posted -2 OAA and 1 DRS in 645.2 innings.

Offensively is where he's most intriguing. A left-handed bat, he'd be a nice complement to an Angels' lineup that features Nolan Schanuel and switch-hitters Luis Rengifo and Yoán Moncada.

Last season, Sánchez slashed .252/.313/.417 with 18 homers and a 100 wRC+. In 2023, he recorded a .253/.327/.450 line with 14 dingers and a 107 wRC+. His isolated slugging typically hovers in the .180 range, indicating above-average power.

The underlying metrics show that there's even more potential power potential to unlock. Last season, Sánchez's .468 xSLG ranked in the 86th percentile. His average exit velocity, 92.5mph, was in the 93rd percentile. His 12.2% barrel percentage was in the 83rd percentile while his hard-hit rate of 51.3% was 95th percentile. He backed all that up with a violent swing that averaged 75.2 mph, good for the 90th percentile.

If Sánchez can get more loft on balls when he makes contact -- his contact rates for last season were 20.3% line drives, 50.3% ground balls, and 29.4% fly balls -- he could really see the home runs come in bunches.

He's not a perfect player, with a career .532 OPS against southpaws, but as a lefty power bat who could play adequate center field defense and has the tools to unlock even more offensive production, he's certainly a worthy trade target that could satisfy the Angels' biggest remaining need.

With a salary of just $4.5 million and two years of control left after this season, he's a player who would likely not be moved on most teams. However, the Marlins are nowhere near competitive and prioritize saving money above all else, making it a possibility that he could become available, and if that should happen, the Angels should be ready to pounce.

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