I’m back for another early look at some options for the Halos, this time at 3rd base. I previously looked at the center field options, primarily focusing on left handed hitters. This time, I opened it up to righties as well, looking at a variety of avenues to improve the position or simply look at the options. Next week, I’ll be looking into the pitching market, specifically the starting pitchers, so be on the lookout!
Photo credit: Rex Fregosi
Free Agents
Alex Bregman
Pros: Love him or hate him, he’s a winner with a ton of experience. He’s played at the highest level and performed in the biggest games we have in the sport. He’s a good defender, solid hitter that can hit anywhere in the lineup, and by all accounts a good clubhouse guy.
Cons: Angels fans (at least some) will not like that he’s a former Astros player. That’s a non-starter for many. In addition, last year he missed quite a bit of time with injury, and as he gets older, that’s a concern. He has power, but he isn’t a power hitter, so there is a bit of concern with how his hit tool will translate to Angel Stadium.
Contract: Bregman has opted out of his player option with the Red Sox. Projections are a bit all over the place, but with no QO attached, his market should be pretty robust. I’d expect a 5-6 year deal in the $25-30 range. I’ll guess 6/$165
Yoan Moncada (30)
Pros: Switch hitter. Good defender (albeit struggled at times last year). Has power, solid eye at the plate. Not overly fast but not slow by any means. It seemed like the fans liked him (when he played) and there’s obviously familiarity with the organization.
Cons: Health. That’s what it really boils down to with him. Last year he missed time for a knee injury, thumb injury, then with that same thumb he was limited to only hitting left handed the rest of the season. There’s no doubt he can be a really good player. But can he play 130+ games?
Contract: I’d guess with the amount of games he played, he will get a similar contract to last year until he can have a somewhat healthy season. I’ll guess somewhere in the 1/$6-7 mil range with an option
Eugenio Suarez (34)
Pros: Had a big year last year. Very durable over the course of his career. Big power. Shorter contract
Cons: Not the best defender. Does not hit for a high average, strikes out a lot. Production is tied to homers/extra base hits. Was not the same hitter once he was traded to Seattle (could be related to being HBP at the deadline?)
Contract: this will be probably his last time for a multi year deal. He kind of reminds me a bit of Nelson Cruz towards the end of his career, albeit he can actually play a position, and Cruz was more of a complete hitter. I think the boom or bust power of his game and limited defense along with the age will limit him to 3/$45-55 mil
Munetaka Murekami (25)
Pros: MASSIVE power. Has played on the big stage since an early age (was 22 years old hitting in the middle of the lineup during the WBC). has played a ton of games and is still really young, entering his prime.
Cons: Strikeouts are a HUGE concern. He strikes out at a 29.5% clip for his career (the NPB average is 19.5%). He could reach Joey Gallo/Adam Dunn type territory for strikeouts with those type of numbers assuming they increase with MLB pitching. Small sample size, but in the ‘23 WBC, he struck out at a 40% clip.
He’s also not the greatest defender at 3rd. He’s most likely a long term 1st baseman.
Contract: Difficult to project, but he will certainly warrant a big contract. I’d expect the Mariners, Yankees, Dodgers, Padres, Cubs, amongst a few others to be interested. 5-6 years seems to be the consensus at around $18-22 per year (a little more than Yoshida got). I’ll guess he gets 5/$105 with an option for $25 mil
Alec Bohm (29)
Pros: good pedigree (former top prospect and draft pick), has great tools at the plate to be a polished overall hitter. Indications are he’s a great teammate and a gamer.
Cons: does not have a ton of power. More of a gap to gap type. Not a great defender. Had a viral moment when he was boo’d by the fans and seen on camera mouthing some not so great things (although kudos to him for embracing it). Big potential that has been a bit overshadowed by all of the free agents the Phillies have brought in over the years
Contract: Bohm is arb eligible, but all indications are that he will be non tendered. I actually think he will be traded before he gets non tendered, as he is projected around $10 in his final season. If he were to be non tendered, I think he would garner pretty significant interest on a multi year deal considering his age and ability to hit.
Jorge Polanco (32)
Pros: switch hitter. Has had some great seasons (mostly in Minnesota). Having a great (and clutch) postseason, getting back into form from his Twins days.
Cons: has primarily been a 2nd baseman. Mariners tried him at 3rd but he got injured so they moved him back to 2nd. Defense would be the question here, along with health. He’s also on the older side, how much does he have left in the tank?
Contract: This could go so many ways. His postseason has been great. Will a team overpay because of it? He will turn down his $6 mil option looking for more guarantees and another year or two. I’d suspect somewhere in the 2/$20 with a third year option
*One sneaky question: With his great postseason, does Seattle offer the QO?
Trade Options (I used the trade sim for values, I’m aware it’s not a super accurate depiction)
Royce Lewis (26)
Pros: Former #1 pick, uber talented, big power, local kid, still really young. Star power qualities.
Cons: Health. Seems to be the consistent theme with most of these guys. The guy has pulled more hammy’s than a BBQ joint.
Contract: 2nd year of arb (super 2). Controlled for 3 more seasons. Projected $3 mil this season.
Trade Cost: His trade value comes in at an 11 on the simulator, just above Dana, Rada, Lugo, etc. I’d imagine the Twins would want a young arm like a Dana/Klassen plus another young player that can play relatively quickly or someone with more upside. Klassen/Lugo + a lottery ticket might work. If we wanted to go bigger and try to acquire Pablo Lopez along with Lewis, that would take some more ammo and moving parts.
Brett Baty (26)
Pros: Left handed hitter, has produced at the minor leagues at a high level, finally broke out at the major league level a bit after struggling the last couple years. Solid all around tools.
Cons: consistency on defense. Not regarded as the best defender (one reason he didn’t stick at the mlb level). Was his breakout legit at the plate, or will he return to struggling? If Alonso leaves the Mets, this opens a clear path for him to 3b and Vientos to move to 1b, so the Mets may not want to move him.
Contract: pre-arb until 2027.
Trade Cost: Value on sim- 19. Seems a bit high tbh, but makes some sense since he is still young and cost controlled. Schanuel comes in at similar value, otherwise it would be a mix and match. Mets are looking to contend, so I’d imagine they would want an arm like Detmers or Soriano. I can’t imagine the Angels do that, but maybe we try to get Kikuchi off the books, or force the Mets to take on the last year of Rendon? Doesn’t seem likely, but Baty is someone I wanted the Angels to trade for before the season last year.
Jordan Westburg (27)
Pros: good young hitter. Would be a perfect left side compliment to Neto. Doesn’t sell out for power, more of a line drive hitter that can hit the ball out when he gets some lift.
Cons: injury history. He’s a good player but has bad luck with injuries (and it’s not soft tissue stuff, it’s broken thumb/hand/fingers from getting hit type stuff). Might not be available, but as the O’s young guys get older, they might have some choices to make (Adley, Gunnar, etc)
Contract: pre-arb until 2027
Trade Cost: Value on sim- 32.8. Sounds about right considering production, youth and contract. Soriano comes in at a similar value. Angels and Orioles needs are fairly similar (pitching pitching pitching) so it’s not the greatest match.
Coby Mayo (24)
Pros: young, cost controlled for a long time. Does not have a path to playing time (albeit the O’s may non-tender Mountcastle). Has hit at every level with big power numbers and hitability.
Cons: not regarded as a good defender. In limited time in the big leagues, has not shown the same power and hitting prowess as he did in the minor leagues.
Contract: pre-arb until 2028
Trade Cost: value on sim- 12.8. Much more gettable here (although I don’t buy it). I’d definitely use a young arm like Dana to acquire him.
Max Muncy (35)
Pros: left handed hitter with a ton of experience. Has a good eye at the plate (sometimes he’s too patient imo) and has good power. He gets lost in that Dodgers lineup, but he kind of seems to be a glue guy for them. When he went out with injury this year, their offense as a whole really took a downward turn.
Cons: on the older side. Strikes out more than you would like. Competent defender but not a good defender. Played for the dodgers (for some fans, thats a disqualifier)
Contract: $10 mil Trade Cost: value on sim- 4.6. Dodgers don’t really have glaring needs that they couldn’t just fix with money, but their pen has been a big question mark. Brock Burke was rumored to have been on the block at the deadline, he would be a good fit. We would probably have to add something, and we know Arte doesn’t exactly like trading with the Dodgers.
Prospects
Nacho Alvarez (ATL)
Notes: why not visit our good ole friends in Atlanta? Alvarez is primarily a SS, and might end up being their every day SS when all is said and done. But if they go out and get a SS, Alvarez may be available. He can play all over the infield. He doesn’t have a ton of power at present, but has a nice swing, puts the ball in play and gets on base.
Cesar Prieto (STL)
Notes: aggressive hitter, contact over power but had a lot of extra base hits last year (50+). On the older side (famous story where he defected from Cuba sprinting from a FL hotel while with the National team). Fringe defender but has played SS, 2b and 3b. Doesn’t strike out a lot but doesn’t walk a lot either
Cody Freeman (TEX)
Notes: left handed hitter, has played a lot of minor league games after getting drafted out of high school. Had a big year in AAA last year and saw 36 games in the MLB. Didn’t have great numbers at the big leagues but wasn’t horrible.
Thomas Gavello (SF)
Notes: left handed hitter, has played 2nd and 3rd, as well as some outfield and even catcher. Not a ton of power, strikes out a little more than you would like. Could be a cheap utility option that hits left handed.
Long Shot (*This is a late change*)
Full disclosure, my original long shot was Manny Machado. I was under the assumption Pujols would get the manager job, and their DR connection made some sense, along with Arte’s love for star power. Not saying I would have loved it, just that it made a twinkle of sense.
Now that Pujols is off the board, I’ll propose 2 “long shot” ideas, one more viable than the other.
- Sign Bo Bichette: But Bichette is a SS? He is, but he’s not a good one. He’s a great hitter that cosplays as a SS. Analytics from a variety of metrics actually show that a move to 3rd base would actually make him an above average defender, as his biggest flaw is his range. This would also presumably keep him healthier. It would cost a pick, but he is still young, rakes, and would add some great length to the lineup.
- Trade for Austin Riley: This is the real long shot. We have a history of trading with the Braves. Maybe we visit the well again? Riley is still young, but has shown some signs of decline. He’s signed to a long term deal ($22 mil annually the next 7 years, plus an option for $20 mil), so it’s very affordable, but it is a big commitment. Maybe the Braves want a little bit of a money reset? Highly unlikely, hence the long shot.
In House
Denzer Guzman
Notes: He had a nice season last year starting in AA, going up to AAA and hitting well, and had a decent stint to round out the year with the big club. He has some pop, has a solid glove and arm, but 3b is still new to him. The glove won’t be a problem for him, it will always be will he hit enough. He hits fastballs well, but has had issues with breaking balls and doesn’t exactly have a “short” swing, especially with 2 strikes.
Verdict: He will play a ton in spring, both at SS and at 3b. He will be given a lot of opportunities, but ultimately I think the Angels will bring in a 3rd baseman and Guzman will start in AAA and be brought up throughout the season when injuries arise.
Chad Stevens
Notes: Stevens had a breakout year in AAA last year. He got the call up to the big leagues and struggled, like many prospects in their first time up. But he wasn’t really given the chance to adjust and stick it out before being sent back down.
Verdict: We will see him a lot in spring I’m sure, getting some starts and coming in as a backup when the starters are done. I’d expect him to start the year in AAA.
Christian Moore
Notes: the second base job is his to lose. Unless the Angels bring in a 2nd baseman in free agency and make it clear Moore is switching to 3b, he will remain at 2nd.
Verdict: see above
What I would do
The Angels are not in a position to be just a 3rd baseman away. The position in my eyes really depends on $ available and what happens with the pitching. If we spend in one area, we trade in another area, and vice versa. So I’ll give my 2 preferences:
- Free agent: Sign Moncada. It’s cheap, and when he plays he produces. If/when he gets hurt, we have some options in Guzman and Peraza that may not be spectacular, but have shown they can handle their own at the very least and could take a leap.
- Trade: I would love Baty, but I think the cost might be a bit steep. If Mayo is available and only cost something like Dana, I’d do it.
