Angels Reportedly 'Reluctant' to Add This Position in Free Agency
The Los Angeles Angels have remained relatively quiet thus far in free agency. They've added pitchers Zach Plesac, Luis Garcia and Adam Cimber, and lost two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani. Not exactly a fair swap of value.
The Angels have money to play with and have been linked to many of the top free agents still on the market including left-handed pitchers Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery, outfielder Cody Bellinger and outfielder/designated hitter Jorge Soler. It may be time to pump the brakes on that last player, though.
Recently, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported that the Angels are "reluctant" to add a designated hitter this offseason.
The reasoning?
He says they prefer to "leave that spot open" for Mike Trout, Anthony Rendon and others.
"As for offense, the Angels are reluctant to enter the DH market, preferring to leave that spot open for Trout, Rendon and others. In particular, they need protection for Rendon, who has appeared in only 23 percent of the team’s games the past three seasons."
Soler appeared in 137 games last season, and 102 of them came as the Miami Marlins' designated hitter.
In his 32 appearances in right field, he had -5 defensive runs saved above average and -3 outs above average. He's never been a good defender, which is why he's transitioned to being mostly a DH.
If it's true the Angels don't want to add a DH — and it would make sense considering they haven't had a full season from Trout or Rendon since 2020 — they would likely be out of the running for Soler and many of the other top DH's on the market, including J.D. Martinez and maybe even Justin Turner.
There are still other free agents that could provide them with an offensive jolt, including utility man Kiké Hernández, who they're reportedly showing interest in this offseason.
