5 best Angels options in right field for next season ranked

4 of 5

The Los Angeles Angels began the 2023 season thinking they had one of, if not the best outfields in all of baseball. Taylor Ward was coming off a resurgent season and seemed prime to be in all-star consideration, and the team also added Hunter Renfroe, a consistent bopper, to the fold via trade. Those two outfielders played alongside arguably the best outfielder in the game at the time, Mike Trout.

Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned for the 2023 Angels or that outfield. Both Ward and Trout had underwhelming years and missed significant time due to injuries. Renfroe was the healthiest but also the worst of the trio before he was eventually placed on waivers.

Heading into this season, the Angels have an outfield that appears ready to go, but there are always ways to improve. Right field appears set, but the Angels could look into getting creative with their roster construction. The dream scenario would be adding Juan Soto in a trade, but the Angels don't have the assets for that. They could, however, make a more under-the-radar deal to shake up the roster.

5) Jo Adell

The Angels have a decision to make regarding Jo Adell and his future with the team. The young outfielder still has enormous potential, but is obviously still quite raw. He has yet to put it together at the big league level, and the clock is ticking.

As long as Adell is here, he's going to be on the Opening Day roster. The reason for that is because he's out of options and cannot be sent down without clearing waivers. The chances of the Angels risking this are minimal, because they can at the very least get something for him in a trade.

The Angels essentially have to decide if they're ready to give up on Adell or not. If they are, trading him or making him the team's fourth outfielder would make sense. If they're not, starting him is the only way to truly see what you have.

If the Angels are going to sell their fanbase on winning, starting Adell won't accomplish that. He's not even one of the three best outfielders on the active roster right now. However, if they look to trade a guy like Ward for a starting pitcher, suddenly a spot opens for Adell to fill in. Adell starting is not what I would do, but it's certainly an option.

4) Teoscar Hernandez

Teoscar Hernandez is far from perfect as a player. There are areas he excels at, and others that make you scratch your head.

Hernandez has power. Tons of it. He's hit at least 26 home runs in each of the last four full seasons (excluding 2020) and has a 120 OPS+ since 2019. When right, his bat matches up with the best of them. He's coming off a down year for Seattle, but still managed to hit 26 home runs and put up awesome numbers on the road. Hernandez had an .830 OPS on the road, nearly 200 points higher than his mark at pitcher-friendly T-Mobile Park.

Adding a bat like Hernandez would certainly help this Angels lineup that could be losing a ton of power if Shohei Ohtani leaves in free agency. Another factor that makes this outfielder enticing is he does not have the qualifying offer attached, meaning the Angels would not have to forfeit a draft pick if they were to sign him.

The downsides to Hernandez are also quite clear, and why he isn't ranked higher on this list. First, the strikeouts are way too high. Hernandez fanned 211 times this past season, third most in all of baseball. Second, his defense leaves a lot to be desired. Teoscar would fit in better as a primary DH than as the regular right fielder. Third, due to a weak class, the contract he's going to get will not be cheap.

There are pros and cons to making a deal happen with Hernandez. It'd make the Angels better, but it's fair to question just how much better.

3) Jeff McNeil

This is where getting creative would make sense for the Angels. Trading for Jeff McNeil, a primary second baseman, might seem weird on the surface, but he has seen a lot of playing time in the outfield over the years. The 31-year-old played 68 games in the outfield for the Mets this past season, 41 of which came in right field. He's played 100 games in right field in his MLB career and has accumulated 9 DRS at the position. He's a primary second baseman but can play everywhere, and is solid defensively anywhere you put him.

McNeil is coming off a down year which means the Angels would be acquiring him when his value is lower than its been. In 2022 the versatile McNeil won a batting title with the Mets and he's a career .298 hitter with a .361 OBP. Not too shabby to put at the top of the lineup.

McNeil is entering the second year of a four-year deal that guarantees him $50 million total. This is awfully team-friendly for a guy who just won a batting title one season ago. The Mets need pitching. Could the Angels offer a guy like Griffin Canning or Patrick Sandoval to try and land McNeil and then just spend in free agency on pitching?

Adding McNeil in a trade would add some more balance to a lineup that needs it. He's not a home run hitter, but gets on base at a high clip. Additionally, McNeil has always been clutch with runners in scoring position. Another thing this team truly needs to improve upon. Is a trade likely? Of course not. Does it make sense? I'd say so.

2) Cody Bellinger

Go big or go home, right? Signing Cody Bellinger to play right field would certainly be going big. It'd also be a massive gamble.

Bellinger at his best is an MVP-caliber player. We saw him win an MVP with the Dodgers in 2019 and show flashes of his MVP-self this past season with the Cubs. Unfortunately, we've also seen Bellinger at his worst. He'd still provide a bit of pop and has always been an elite defender, but at his worst Bellinger was a guy who was non-tendered by the Dodgers because of how much he struggled.

There's a decent chance Bellinger walks out of free agency with one of the three biggest deals signed. The reason for this is because he's far and away the best position player free agent with the exception of Ohtani who is purely a DH. The Bellinger we saw in 2023 would make any team susbtantially better, but we just don't know if we can rely on that version showing up.

It's somewhat of a worthwhile gamble for a team without much to lose. They've already suffered through eight straight losing seasons. Worst case that continues. Best case here is Bellinger helps turn things around by returning to Southern California and playing like the MVP he's capable of being.

1) Mickey Moniak

The most likely and most realistic outcome as to who will be the Opening Day right fielder is the guy who is projected to be there, Mickey Moniak. The 25-year-old burst onto the scene in 2023 and proved he's a guy worth playing most of the time. Just against righties.

Moniak tore right-handed pitching apart this season, and was one of few bright spots the Angels had. He showed off some power, speed, and defense that made you remember he was picked first overall in the 2016 MLB Draft. Moniak also lacked plate discipline and really struggled against left-handed pitching.

There is no perfect option for right field for the Angels. This isn't a team that has the assets to go out and trade for a Juan Soto. Moniak probably gives them the best bang for their buck as a guy who can play five times a week or so against righties and give way to Jo Adell or a different platoon option against left-handed pitching.

An outfield of Ward, Trout, and Moniak would be quite solid if it can remain healthy. There's every reason to believe Moniak is more than capable of playing in a platoon role in a corner outfield spot.

manual

Home / LA Angels News