Surprise in-division trade could solve Angels’ third base woes with one big caveat

While the Los Angeles Angels' depth chart has a number of spots that are a little sketchy, one of the ones that leaves the most to be desired among the position players is at third base. The Angels finally rid themselves of the organizational dead weight that was Anthony Rendon, but that doesn't mean as much when you are playing the ghost of Yoan Moncada at his old position.

In fairness to Moncada, he was not that bad last year. The .232 batting average was a bit unsightly, but he still ended the season with an OPS just shy of .800 thanks to his power and ability to get on base. However, it does seem pretty telling that Christian Moore is getting looks at third base this spring as to how LA feels about Moncada getting the lion's share of the playing time over at the hot corner.

There is one possible solution on the trade market, assuming the Angels are willing to take on some money, which is not a certainty. The Astros desperately want to trade Isaac Paredes, and he would be a great fit for the Angels, but the "in-division tax" could be a tough hurdle to overcome.

Angels should try to trade for Isaac Paredes, but they probably won't even bother

Given Moncada's shortcomings, Paredes is especially appealing coming off an All-Star season. He hits for power and draws plenty of walks while having real defensive versatility. Paredes isn't a great defender at any of his positions, but he is passable, and that would allow Kurt Suzuki to move him around and play match-ups when possible, while mostly playing third.

Of course, having to turn to a division rival and ask for one of their better players, no matter how available they are to every other team in the league, is problematic. Other than sending Martin Maldonado to Houston back in 2018, these two squads simply don't have a history of dealmaking, and with good reason. Despite the Angels' current stature in the division, they would have to pay a similar in-division premium to snag Paredes that the Rangers or Mariners would have to.

That doesn't mean that a deal is impossible. Houston has their own roster problems they are trying to alleviate soon, which could make a trade more feasible given the urgency. The bigger issue might be their asking price with or without the in-division upcharge, as the Angels don't have a particularly robust farm system nor much payroll flexibility. Still, it is fun to think about the possibility, however remote.