Let's Look At Second Base Options for the Angels

A month out from pitchers and catchers reporting to Spring Training, the Angels have several notable holes in the starting roster. While third base and center field have received most of the digital ink, second base is also critical. For a team ranked near the bottom in MLB in both defense and on base percentage, adding a good glove who can get on base would be a big boost.

Internally the Angels have a few options, none of which have proven themselves at the MLB level. Vaughn Grissom was brought over from Boston after putting up a really nice season in AAA. He brings upside but also question marks and would likely be the starter if the season opened today.

A notch below him on the depth chart is former top prospect Oswald Peraza, who has mostly played third base of late and has yet to have any success in a big league batter's box. Kyren Paris is showing better plate discipline in the Mexican Winter League and is likely headed to AAA.

The wild card here is Christian Moore. The Angels love to promote first round picks early but Moore showed the need for more development when he played at the highest level last season. 62 strikeouts in 184 plate appearances is the sign of a player who was over matched. But he was also a year away from playing college baseball.

Ultimately the team hopes Moore is their long term second baseman. For now, it would be best to bring in a stopgap and hope Moore seizes the position in 2027.

Free agent options

This is not a great free agent class to find a long term solution at second base. Most of the players available are either well past their prime or simply below MLB standards.

DJ LeMahieu was once a contact machine at the plate. Now he is 37 years old and has been 15% worse than league average offensively over the last three years. His range is not great but he did post a respectable .338 on base percentage but it come with a paltry .336 slugging percentage.

Cavan Biggio brings a great glove but his bat is non existent. His slash line the last two seasons is a brutal .191/.309/.288.

Adam Frazier played 53 games at second base last year and handled the position well. He played more on the grass and at third base and turns 34. His slash line the last two seasons is an underwhelming .242/.302/.338.

The best option is likely Willi Castro

This statement is a testament to the free agent class as much as it is praise of Willi Castro. I previously wrote that the versatile Castro is a player I'd like to see the Angels acquire but that was with an eye towards a utility role.

He'll turn 29 right after the 2026 season opens, making him younger than most of the free agent list. His down year at the plate last year still yielded a wRC+ of 92, meaning he was a bit better than the average MLB second baseman.

He won't win any Gold Gloves but he will provide a steady presence at the keystone and could easily be turned back into a utility player if Grissom or Moore breaks out and earns the starting position.

Yes, this piece has omitted former first round pick Nick Madrigal who was signed on a minors deal. Madrigal's days of quality production are well behind him. He's a lottery ticket and a nice story to follw in Spring Training but he should not be penciled into the big league roster.

It is an underwhelming group, but also an inexpensive one. The Angels have cut payroll considerably, but with a little investment they could shore up second base while leaving a path for the young players to eventually take the position.