The Angels would be well served to avoid this free-agent outfielder like the plague

Since the Angels reported interest in free-agent slugger Anthony Santander came out, the Halos have moved at a glacial pace to try and secure the services of the coveted outfielder. In the meantime, reports have come out that they may be eyeing a different free-agent outfielder in his stead.

It would be a massive mistake to pivot from Santander to Alex Verdugo as rumors suggest, especially if a Verdugo addition then leads to a Taylor Ward trade. If the Halos really do follow this path, it will be further proof that owner Arte Moreno's meddling and penny-pinching is setting the team on a never-ending path to purgatory.

Signing Alex Verdugo would be a disaster for the Angels in more ways than one

Verdugo, 28, is one of the more controversial players in the league. Once a top prospect with the cross-town Dodgers, he's entering free agency for the first time while looking for his fourth team thus far in his career.

The Dodgers, Red Sox, and most recently the Yankees have all decided that the left-handed-hitting outfielder is more trouble than he's worth. It's telling when three of the most prestigious franchises can't get a player to fall in line and tire of his antics. Yet, this is the case with Verdugo who has a long history of attendance and effort concerns as well as other weird issues that have made him a divisive figure in every clubhouse he's been a part of.

For the Angels, a team with many impressionable young players locked into prominent roles and more on the way, that is simply not the type of ingredient they need to be adding to their chemistry.

Furthermore, while a lefty-swinging outfielder would be a nice add, it's questionable whether or not Verdugo represents any sort of upgrade at all. Verdugo's calling card has been being a master-of-none type player for his career. He makes contact, but won't win a batting title. He will hit a dozen or so homers, but no more. He has some speed and defensive ability but was moved to a corner spot because he cannot handle center field.

Last season was particularly dreadful for the mercurial outfielder, as he posted a .233/.291/.356 line with 13 home runs. With the glove, he was worth just one out-above-average last season. All told, his performance was good for 0.6 fWAR.

Contrast that with the performance of Mickey Moniak, the Halos resident left-handed-hitting outfielder in 2024. Moniak slashed .219/.266/.380 which was good for a 79 wRC+. His 14 home runs from last year are one more than Verdugo's career-high of 13, yet Moniak achieved that mark in 203 fewer plate appearances.

Red flags abound with Verdugo and if the Angels truly intend on pursuing him it further cements the idea that this is a directionless franchise caught between a rebuild and a run for contention. Artificial barriers and noncohesive moves lacking an overarching strategy are a recipe for prolonged mediocrity. If the Angels really want to be taken seriously in the AL West, players like Verdugo are exactly the type to avoid.

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