MLB insider hints at possible position change for Angels first baseman

The entire Angels' roster is under evaluation by the top-brass and everything is fluid. For the past year-and-a-half, the Los Angeles Angels have rolled with Nolan Schanuel as their primary first baseman. However, according to MLB insider, Jon Heyman, the Angels are "looking at" star first baseman Pete Alonso, who remains available on the free-agent market. Heyman said that if the Halos landed Alonso, they'd shift Schanuel to left field, where he has not played since dabbling in college.

Angels fans are well aware of Schanuel and what he brings to the table. In 2023, he went from first-round draft pick to an MLB debut after just 22 minor league games. Granted, he hit .365 with 21 walks and just 10 strikeouts in that time, but it was an uber-aggressive move by Angels management. To their credit, it's worked out so far.

This past season, Schanuel finished in the 87th percentile or higher in BB%, Squared-Up%, Chase%, and Whiff%, which speaks volumes to his sharp sense of patience and pitch recognition at the plate. He also recorded 13 home runs with 54 RBI and a 101 OPS+ across 147 games.

MLB insider hints at potential Nolan Schanuel position change

The Angels have historically loved testing out their players' versatility. One of the prime examples is their usage of Mark Trumbo a decade ago, who could hit the ball farther than anyone on the planet but didn't have a position to play on defense. They tried him out at both infield and outfield corners to no real success.

Schanuel stands at 6-foot-4 and 220lbs, which is awfully similar to Trumbo's build. Unfortunately, the defensive metrics also suggest that they're similar players, which does not bode well for Schanuel's potential move to the outfield. In 2024, the 22-year-old finished in the 12th percentile in Outs Above Average and 10th in Arm Strength, making him one of the worst overall defenders at first base in all of baseball.

These numbers don't exactly instill much confidence in his abilities to hold down the left field position on a nightly basis. The presence of Jorge Soler as the Angels' everyday designated hitter would mean that Alonso and/or Schanuel would not be able to DH often, meaning somebody would get squeezed out of playing time.

It's admirable to see the Angels go all in on offensive firepower this winter, but an Alonso addition doesn't make a whole lot of sense unless there's a trade following it. Schanuel is still so young and has already proven to be a talented big leaguer, so the best option may be to upgrade their roster in another way and keep Schanuel where he's at. Otherwise their defensive alignment would take a massive hit that just isn't worth it.

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