The Los Angeles Angels are never hesitant to spend money, but right now, they seem to have no coherent plan to build a contender.
This winter, the Angels have signed Yusei Kikuchi, Jorge Soler, Travis d’Arnaud, and Kyle Hendricks, while taking on some reclamation projects in Scott Kingery and Ryan Noda. Is that supposed to take them from a 63-win team to a playoff contender?
There are some obvious things to like about the Angels, most notably, the fact that Mike Trout is still on the team if he can ever play a full, healthy season. But if they’re going to make a surprise push at a Wild Card spot, they have to find some more star talent.
Sometimes, bringing in stars means taking a shot on players who have underperformed with their current teams. And the Boston Red Sox have a player they may simply be willing to give away this winter.
Masataka Yoshida, who the Red Sox signed to a five-year, $90 million contract two seasons ago, could be moved if Boston adds a third baseman and moves Rafael Devers to designated hitter. Mark Ruelle of FanSided recently named the Angels as a top potential trade destination for Yoshida.
“Why not give the Angels a call?” Ruelle said. “This team is desperate for offense and would certainly listen to the Red Sox offer.”
“Again, if the Red Sox are willing to eat some of the contract, Yoshida can serve as a DH/LF platoon player for the Angels and give them a player capable of getting on base, possibly even someone that can protect Trout in the lineup.”
Yoshida, 31, has slashed .285/.343/.433 in his two big-league seasons, good for a 111 OPS+. That doesn’t scream “upside,” but the fact that he batted .327 with a .960 OPS in seven seasons in Japan’s NPB suggest there’s still more in the tank.
The Angels could offer Yoshida a chance to get back to playing his preferred left field spot, and much more slack to stay in the lineup if he ever hits a cold stretch. That might pay dividends for both the club and the player if a trade somehow materializes.
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