As the postseason winds down and I’ve found myself with a bit more time during the day (kudos to my student teacher who has been rock solid), I decided to take a dive into some of the options for CF next season. I focused mostly on left handed hitters (as Perry mentioned), so the pool here is limited to that. I’m sure I also missed some possibilities but tried to somewhat limit them with my own opinions and preferences (no offense to the Leody Taveras’s of the world, but no thanks).
Free Agents
Cedric Mullins (age:31)
Pros: Left handed hitter, still has good speed, and still plays solid defense. Has average-above average power for a smaller guy and has played in some big games in his career.
Cons: Does not get on base at a very high clip. Has been in decline the last few years, seems to have been pushed out in Baltimore in favor of the younger players.
Contract: Mullins is still relatively young, but coming off a down year it’s difficult to predict what he will get in his first time hitting free agency. It may depend on what his priorities are; longer term guarantees, or a short pillow contract to try and rebound his value to hit free agency next year. I lean towards a one year deal for Mullins looking to bounce back his value, with a 1 year $10 deal with a mutual option.
Cody Bellinger (30)
Pros: left handed hitter, versatility, has shown strong defensive metrics in center field. Given consistent playing time at one position should only strengthen his defense at the position. Postseason experience, versatile hitter in the batting order, solid runner.
Cons: With his great early years, he has had a couple years of being completely useless. Was that due to the shoulder injury in ‘20? He seems to have bounced back, but is it worth a $25-30 mil a year gamble?
Contract: Technically, Bellinger can opt into a $25 mil option to stay with the Yankees. He’s only 30 (will turn 31 in late July), and should be able to secure more than that in guarantees. How long of a contract remains to be seen, but I could see him getting somewhere between 3/$85 and 5/$140 with an opt out or options involved.
Trent Grisham (29)
Pros: Left handed hitter, decent defender in center, above average power, career year.
Cons: Coming off a career year after 3 poor seasons is scary. Playing in short porch Yankees stadium hitting in front of Aaron Judge could be a bit misleading. Not a great defender. Fielding percentage is great but doesn’t make the wow plays.
Contract: This could be all over the place. Only 29 years old, this might be the only time for a long term deal. I’d expect him to look for something in the 4-5 year range. I’d predict somewhere in the 4/$44 range.
Trade Candidates
Jake Mangum:
Pros: Switch hitter. Solid defender. Great speed. Gamer/gritty type (Erstad type but on the leaner side). Under contract and cheap for a long time. He’s a better hitting Teodosio with slightly worse defense (but he’s a good defender)
Cons: Is not going to hit for a ton of power, limiting his OPS. Since he is cheap for a long time, it would likely cost a decent amount to acquire. Might end up being more of a 4th outfielder.
Contract: Pre-Arb. Free agency: 2031
Michael Harris II
Pros: young. Great defender. Power. All star caliber talent. Cornerstone type player potential
Cons: has shown regression the last 2 years. Low OBP. Is it a product of the environment? Complacency?
Contract: 5/$49 left on contract with 2 club options ($15 mil and $20)
Garrett Mitchell
Pros: Young, gritty player with a lot of tools. Local kid (UCLA). Could be a great change of scenery candidate. Solid tools across the board. Not one tool that screams out at you but can impact the game in a variety of ways because he doesn’t have any really poor weakness besides……….
Cons: Health. Really as simple as that. He doesn’t have huge power, that’s not really his game. When he plays, he’s a really effective player. He’s just been hurt a lot.
Contract: Arb eligible for the 1st time this season (projected $1 mil per MLBtradeRumors). Controlled through the ‘28 season.
Brandon Marsh
Pros: Left handed hitter, solid defender (but not great). Good speed, good energy, runs the bases well, a fan favorite, and familiar with the team/fanbase. Has tapped into some of his power
Cons: fringey arm. Not a great defender compared to other options. Struggles vs. lefties (has platooned quite a bit). Not as much control and would cost prospects. Seems to love Philly/east coast, might damper motivation.
Contract: 2nd year arb-eligible. Projected $4.5 mil. Free agent after the ‘27 season.
Prospects
Kevin Alcantara (Cubs)
Notes: Just 23 years old, Alcantara had a very brief cup of coffee the last couple of years. Has performed well in AA and AAA at a young age. Has great tools. If the Cubs re-sign Kyle Tucker, there’s not really any place for him with Tucker, PCA and Happ in the OF.
Price: Tough to gauge trades. I’d image the Cubs would want MLB pitching (or close to it). Alcantara is a back end top 100-ish prospect. Would a Dana for Alcantara swap work?
Long Shot Trade
Jakob Marsee
Notes: traded to the Marlins by the Padres, Marsee came up last year and raked. Left handed swing, hit some big homers, played solid defense and looks like an absolute gamer. Highly unlikely the Marlins trade a young player that is cheap and productive, but never hurts to ask
In House Options
Teodosio (27 in June)
Notes: Elite defender. Showed flashes with the bat at times, but is that enough to warrant a full time role?
Verdict: love the glove, but the bat is just too far behind. Unless he makes big strides and flashes in spring, he will be relegated to AAA or a solid 4th OF/defensive replacement.
Lugo (25 in May)
Notes: There’s no doubt that Lugo has talent. He has shown flashes at the big league level. Playing mostly LF, has played some CF in AAA. Could be an average-above average defender with consistency in one spot (converted middle infielder, so he has some athleticism). The bat is going to be the calling card. He has pop, but showed a lot of chase in his short stints in the big leagues.
Verdict: I’d love for Lugo to grab a starting job this spring. If the Angels decide to trade Ward, I think he could ultimately be the starting LF. CF might be a stretch due to the defensive capabilities of others.
Rada (21 in August)
Notes: The ultimate wild card. Rada doesn’t get the national pub that a lot of prospects do. He’s still very young, and held his own in AAA getting called up to AAA last year. If he was in another system (yankees, dodgers, etc), I feel like there would be a lot of noise about a 20 year old speedy CF with Gold Glove capabilities rising up the ranks. His speed is his calling card. He needs to make more consistent hard contact (he rolls over quite a bit), but he has a good eye and does not try to hit homers.
Verdict: I think the Angels will take a long look at him this spring. If he hits, it might be hard to leave him off the roster (a la Kyren Paris). I would be a little more patient with him since he is so young. Let him get more seasoning, get a bit stronger, see more higher level competition, and call up midseason if he is hitting well.
My personal Preference
I’m a risk taker, and the Angels aren’t exactly one decision away from contention. We need to find lightning in a bottle and get a little bit lucky. I don’t think we are in a position to trade for a Harris at the moment, and the cost of a Bellinger is too much imo.
At the present moment, with all things being equal, I would lean towards trading for Garrett Mitchell. health is obviously a huge question. But he is the perfect blend of cost and potential production, all while having the tools to be an every day guy. I know I know, with our history of keeping guys healthy and his history of poor health, it’s not exactly a match made in heaven. But I don’t think it will cost a lot, he’s controllable, and if he can figure out how to stay somewhat healthy, we might really have something there.
Photo credit: Rex Fregosi
