Los Angeles Angels: Five Moves to Become Playoff Contenders
By Jason Reed
5. Acquire a Second Baseman
With Johnny Giavotella now out of the mix, the Angels have a considerable hole at second base. Giavotella was never a great second baseman, but his absence does cause second base to be very thin. Currently, Cliff Pennington is regarded as the starting second baseman on the Angels depth chart. If they Angels want to succeed, they must bring in a quality player at second.
As for the Angels’ options, there isn’t much outside of veteran players. Chase Utley, Stephen Drew, and Sean Rodriguez all serve as free agent targets. Out of the three, Utley and Drew can provide a left-handed bat to a right-handed dominated lineup. However, Rodriguez may serve as the best option to the Halos. Rodriguez, who batted .270 with 18 home runs and 56 runs batted in this year, can serve as a much-needed bat at the top of the lineup. Not only that, Rodriguez is a super utility player. Last season, he played every single position except pitcher and catcher.
Other routes are available as well besides signing a free agent. The Angels could potentially pull off a trade to receive a second baseman. Jace Peterson and Scooter Gennett could be good options. Both the Braves and Brewers have great farm systems, so they may only ask for two or three smaller big league talents. The Angels could even attempt to trade for Brandon Phillips. If they could get a third team into the mix they may be able to work out a deal. Whatever road they end up pursuing, they need a second baseman.