What the Mike Trout Announcement Means for the Angels Roster

If the outfield is set, two camp battles just got more interesting.

Sep 20, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Los Angeles Angels designated hitter Mike Trout (27) during the national anthem before the game against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images | Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images

Yesterday Mike Trout expressed his intent to return to center field. While not an ideal solution, Trout is the best center fielder on the roster. His move back to his familiar spot is a gamble made necessary by the Angels failure to develop or acquire a true center fielder.

If this was the plan all along, it makes the previously puzzling trade for Josh Lowe more sensible. In the aggregate, the Angels replaced Taylor Ward in left field with Josh Lowe while adding starter Grayson Rodriguez and saving about $10 million.

As of today, the Angels outfield alignment looks like this:

Josh Lowe - LF

Mike Trout - CF

Jo Adell - RF

Bounce back candidate Jorge Soler is the obvious choice for designated hitter. Not only are his defensive metrics horrendous, Soler is approaching his 34th birthday and coming back from a back injury.

Offensively, this could be a solid group. Trout, Adell, and Soler have proven power with Trout and Soler generally posting solid on base percentages. Lowe has shown flashes of offensive prowess but injuries and inconsistency have defined his recent seasons.

Defensively, Adell is adequate in right field but was a wreck in center field. Lowe has been fine in left field. The jury remains out on Trout's prowess but it will be difficult for him to be worse than Adell was in 2025.

There is a camp battle for the fourth outfielder spot.

There's no way Trout plays 162 games in center field and an outfield alignment of Lower/Adell/Soler would be brutal defensively. Even if Trout plays most games, there will be times in blowouts when the team needs to make a defensive substitution. The team needs a fourth outfielder who is capable of covering center field.

Bryce Teodosio is likely the beneficiary here. The Fielding Bible rated Teodosio as one of the top defensive center fielders in MLB last season. His speed on the base paths would be useful in late game situations as well. Teodosio underwhelmed with the bat and can't be expected to provide offense

But don't pencil Teodosio's name on the Opening Day roster. Wade Meckler was acquired in the off season and can play all three outfield positions. Meckler swings lefty and also has good sprint speed so he's a viable threat to Teodosio.

The battle for utility spots becomes more interesting.

Sep 10, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Kansas City Royals second baseman Adam Frazier (26) throws to first base in the sixth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images | David Richard-Imagn Images

Second base is an open position in camp. As of now, Christian Moore, Vaughn Grissom, Nick Madrigal, and Adam Frazier are battling for the job. Grissom has some positional flexibility but most of his MLB career has come at second base. Frazier can cover the corner outfield spots in a pinch, but not center field.

Given the Angels lack of depth at both the major and minor league levels, the need for quality utility players is acute. Perhaps the Angels would prefer to keep a muti position player over a pure fourth outfielder. Beyond Grissom and Frazier, the Angels have multi position players Chris Taylor and Oswald Peraza in camp.

This could give Taylor an inside track for a bench job as he is capable of playing all three positions on the grass. Adam Frazier is capable of playing the corner outfield spots, giving him a smaller edge as well.

Madrigal is a second base only option. Moore is too young to move around and projects as a left fielder at best.

There's an outside chance the Angels simply carry Trout, Lowe, Adell, and Soler as outfielders if they feel they can get enough coverage from Taylor or Frazier to rotate their regulars enough to keep them fresh. A Lowe/Taylor/Adell configuration is probably a lateral move defensively. Switch that to Lowe/Adell/Frazier for a game or two and the team can probably still compete.

Nelson Rada will start the year in the minors.

Mar 6, 2024; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Angels outfielder Nelson Rada (75) looks on prior to a spring training game against the Oakland Athletics at Tempe Diablo Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images | Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images

Rada is a pure center fielder and he needs more seasoning in the minors. While it might be disappointing for him this is likely best for Rada's long term prospects. He is the position prospect most on the cusp of an MLB job but there's a clear path to him getting one in 2027 once Soler is off the roster.

A Lowe/Rada/Adell configuration is likely really good defensively and it pushes Trout to the DH spot. The key is making sure that combination is also offensively proficient. If that takes an extra year but yields better results a rebuilding team should be able to stomach that.

Of course all of this is riding on the surgically repaired knees of Mike Trout and could change at any moment.