Angels reportedly in bidding war for veteran outfielder against familiar foe

While the Los Angeles Angels have failed to put pen to paper with anyone of note, they have been a team linked to several free agents this offseason. Another team in a similar situation to them is the Boston Red Sox.

The Red Sox have executed a couple of trades and also signed former Angel Lucas Giolito, but outside of that one free agent signing they've been relatively inactive despite being linked to a slew of free agents.

Both the Angels and Red Sox were reported finalists for the services of Teoscar Hernandez before he ended up with the Dodgers. Both the Angels and Red Sox had varying levels of interest in Marcus Stroman before he signed with the Yankees. Now, the Angels and Red Sox appear to be bidding against each other for free agent outfielder Adam Duvall.

LA Angels face familiar foe in Adam Duvall bidding war

Jon Heyman of the NY Post was the MLB Insider who said that the Angels and Red Sox appear to be in a bidding war for Duvall's services. It's a bit depressing that Duvall would be the Angels' biggest acquisition of the offseason so far, but here we are.

Duvall would be a decent fit for the Angels as an outfielder who would provide power and could play all three positions. The problem is, the Angels are pretty full on outfielders as is, with Taylor Ward, Mike Trout, Mickey Moniak, and Jo Adell all slated to make the Opening Day roster. Adding a fifth outfielder to the fold would only make things more complicated.

Yes, Duvall is a far better player than Adell and would be a great platoon option with Moniak in right field, but Adell is out of options and is not a player the Angels will just let go elsewhere on waivers. If Duvall signs, chances are another move is coming. Whether that's with Adell, Ward, or Moniak would remain to be seen.

The 35-year-old is coming off a strong year in Boston, slashing .247/.303/.531 with 21 home runs and 58 RBI. He hit those 21 home runs despite playing in only 92 games. Injuries have been a concern for Duvall in recent years, but when he's healthy, he's got a ton of power. He can be very streaky at the plate, but would provide a boost for the Angels at the dish and in the field if they were to sign him. He was a Gold Glove winner just three seasons ago, and remains a solid corner outfielder.

Whether the Angels will outbid the Red Sox for a player they don't need is a question we're going to have to find out. Chances are they're going to have to outbid Boston, the team that just had a lot of success with him, in order to land him.

It'll be interesting to see if he's the kind of player the Angels would outbid another team for, considering he isn't needed as much as pitching.