Yoán Moncada is making one Angels prospect impossible to ignore anymore

It's painfully obvious to anyone not named Perry Minasian that Yoán Moncada has no business being part of the Los Angeles Angels roster. Not only has Moncada's bat been inept this season (.191/.310/.300), but his defense is among the worst in all of baseball at this position (-3 defensive runs saved).

Moncada's paltry defensive skills were on full display during Monday's 1-0 win over the Athletics. During the top of the third inning, Shea Langeliers sent a routine chopper down the third base line, but Moncada's hesitation on the throw allowed the A's catcher to reach first base safely. Langeliers has above-average speed for a backstop, but he's not a burner. That's a play that has to be made.

Angels fans are ready for a change, and it's not as if the organization doesn't have options. While the majority of the LA faithful are likely to point to Christian Moore as Moncada's likely successor, Denzer Guzman is putting up fantastic numbers at Triple-A Salt Lake and should be in the conversation as well.

Angels prospect Denzer Guzman could succeed Yoán Moncada

In 41 games with the Salt Lake Bees this season, Guzman is hitting .309/.389/.497 with seven home runs, 38 RBI, five stolen bases, and a 119 wRC+. He's drawn walks at a 12.1% clip and is only striking out 18.4% of the time. While Moore would be a fine replacement for Moncada as well, Guzman might be the better option.

Regardless of who the Angels choose, the fanbase would prefer to see it happen sooner rather than later. Moncada can be easily replaced by Oswald Peraza at the hot corner, and Guzman (or Moore) can slide over to play second base. Being that Guzman is a right-handed hitter, he could split time at the keystone with the left-handed hitting Adam Frazier if manager Kurt Suzuki wants to ease the young prospect into the lineup.

Given the Angels' fall to the bottom of the American League standings, it makes little sense at this point to trot out an aging veteran who's not going to be part of the next contending group of Angels' players. Some years back, a popular slogan throughout Major League Baseball was, "Let the kids play." It's time to Minasian and the Angels to take that approach.

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