LA Angels roster: 3 newcomers we shouldn't get attached to

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The Los Angeles Angels decided to bring in a slew of players at or around the trade deadline who all just so happened to be on one-year deals. The goal was clearly to win in 2023 and just figure things out in 2024 and beyond as they go. The plan failed miserably, and the Angels are now back where they've been a lot over the last decade, playing meaningless baseball in September.

Several of the players the Angels acquired were waived before September began with the goal of saving some money and dipping under the luxury tax in mind. It was tough seeing the Angels admit defeat without playing any meaningful games, but it was the right move with their chances practically at zero.

Those players who latched onto other teams are gone, but there're three other newcomers who we shouldn't expect to see back next season.

1) Randal Grichuk was already put on waivers by the LA Angels and won't return in 2024

The Angels had decided they had enough of Randal Grichuk and placed him on waivers along with five other players. Those five others were all claimed while the struggling Grichuk surprisingly went unclaimed through the waiver wire.

Grichuk had a great first half of the year with the Rockies, but immediately after being traded to the Angels saw his production plummet. Overall, he's slashing .179/.231/.366 with six home runs and 10 RBI. He's been a bit better over the last week, but the Angels are 9-23 in games he's appeared in for a reason.

The Angels outfield will already consist of Taylor Ward, Mike Trout, and Mickey Moniak in some capacity. The Angels could use a right-handed bat to platoon with Moniak and Grichuk would make some sense in that regard, but with his production with the Angels being so subpar, looking elsewhere makes the most sense.

It's a shame things didn't work out with the former first round pick of the Angels, but it's hard to see this marriage lasting beyond 2023.

2) LA Angels first baseman C.J. Cron has already been replaced

The Angels acquired C.J. Cron along with Grichuk at the deadline and expected him to be a big bat in the middle of their order. Cron was a year removed from hitting 29 home runs with 102 RBI in an all-star campaign for Colorado and he even hit 28 the year before. Coors Field helps everyone who plays there, but Cron has hit 30 home runs in a season before for Tampa Bay. He has serious power.

Cron arrived to the Angels raging hot. He had hits in nine straight games and hit home runs in four of those nine games with nine RBI in that span. In fact, he had a .925 OPS in the 20 games he had played since returning from a long month and a half on the sidelines with back troubles.

The Angels acquired Cron at the end of July, and he immediately slumped. He slashed .217/.280/.283 with one home run and five RBI in the 14 games he played before being placed on the IL with more back issues. Cron has been out since mid-August and has been replaced at first base by rookie Nolan Schanuel.

It's pretty clear at this point that the Angels plan on handing the reigns over to Schanuel to play first base virtually every day, making Cron positionless. The free agent to be will likely receive interest from other teams that need a first baseman or DH, but the Angels have Schanuel at first and even if Shohei Ohtani leaves, they have plenty of guys like Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon among others who can take DH at-bats.

Cron has spent a large chunk of his second Angels stint on the IL, and if he does ever return this season, will barely see the field before he departs in free agency.

3) The LA Angels can find a better bench infielder than Eduardo Escobar

It's hard to find a more likable guy than Eduardo Escobar who seems like he's a joy to be around, much like Brett Phillips, but he's had a rather underwhelming Angels tenure. The Angels acquired Escobar once Gio Urshela went down with his season-ending injury, and expected him to essentially replace Urshela in the Anthony Rendon reserve role while also getting some action at first and second base.

Escobar played a good amount in the beginning of his Angels career, but has seen his playing time really dwindle of late, and with the Angels out of it, it's hard to see him getting any at-bats outside of some starts against lefties. He has started just nine games since August 1.

Escobar has slashed .242/.281/.350 with two home runs and 12 RBI in 39 games (27 starts) with the Angels. He's been better than guys like Cron and Grichuk, but that's not saying much of anything.

He's a fun player to root for and Escobar is still pretty solid against left-handed pitching, but the Angels can do better next season. Even if they were to re-sign a healthy Gio Urshela, that'd be an upgrade right there.

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