Angels Predicted to Land All-Star Infielder by Pool of Insiders

Oct 22, 2025; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Angels manager Kurt Suzuki speaks during a press conference at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images | William Liang-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Angels are coming off another season below .500, failing to reach the MLB postseason once again.

Recently, they hired Kurt Suzuki as a new manager, hoping that he can optimize a roster with clear talent. While there is talent, though, the team still has some flaws.

The Angels finished fourth in home runs, but they were second-to-last in total hits. Los Angeles also had the most strikeouts at the plate.

They employed an aggressive approach at the plate, prioritizing power hitting and slugging over making consistent contact with the ball.

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To improve their hitting struggles, a player like Luis Arraez could be beneficial. He is one of the top players at making contact and putting the ball in play.

He has three All-Star nods, two Silver Slugger awards, and three batting titles. At age 28, he is a free agent, and his profile would bring a unique bat to the Angels lineup.

According to a survey done by MLB.com, 28 percent of baseball experts believe that the Angels will sign Arraez in the offseason.

"The contact-oriented, strikeout-averse Arraez is an unorthodox player in modern baseball, and the lack of consensus about his next destination perhaps reflects that," the MLB free agency predictions story read.

"Our voters also see some different teams leading the pack for his services, compared to some of the other free agents in this exercise.

"While eight teams received multiple votes for Arraez, only the Angels got more than seven. It’s not exactly clear how Arraez would fit into the Halos’ lineup at first base, second base or DH, but after a season in which they struck out nearly 100 more times than any other team, Arraez’s skillset would hold obvious appeal."

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This season, Arraez had a down year, batting .292/.327/.392. Over his career, he maintained a batting average of .317. He only struck out 3.1 percent of the time, but walked just 5 percent of the time.

The Padres might consider keeping Arraez, although he fits better with the Angels lineup. He could potentially help balance out sluggers like Jo Adell or Mike Trout, who focus more on power than consistent contact.

For more Los Angeles Angels news, head over to Angels on SI.