3 middle-of-the-order bats the Angels need to sign this off-season to replace Ohtani

2) Whit Merrifield

Another versatile player, Whit Merrifield should cost significantly less than Bellinger as he is coming off a mediocre year. He slashed .272/.318/.382 with a OPS+ of 94 just under the 100 average with the Toronto Blue Jays. He is another player that can provide the Angels with consistent playing time as he played in 145 games while patrolling the outfield and handling some second base. In 2021 he stole a league-leading 40 bases and only got caught 4 times, while last season shows that he has regressed with only 26 stolen bases and getting caught 10 times. 

He is another player that the Angels can platoon in the outfield and give other players much-needed rest in the long run. If the Angels can tap into his hitting ability from 2018 where he slashed .304/.367/.438 with 45 stolen bases, then it could be a steal signing for the team.

The most surprising thing is that he was an All-Star last season where he had an OPS+ of 110. Even if he doesn’t have those types of numbers anymore, he could prove to be a solid depth piece for the team and won’t have a hefty asking price attached to him, unlike Bellinger.