Los Angeles Angels: Left-handed bat options
The Los Angeles Angels have done an excellent job of re-making their team this offseason, though there is one notable hole – bats from the left side. Who could fit for the Angels?
The Los Angeles Angels have made strides to add players for their 2018 season, signing the top name of the offseason and acquiring other pieces to give themselves an impressive chance to win in 2018.
However, the Angels have left a hole in their roster with a lack of left-handed bats. This could come back to bite the team, especially late in games or the playoffs. We’ll take a look at some possible additions they could make to add a lefty bat, but first we will examine the current roster.
Current roster
After acquiring him during the 2017 season, the Los Angeles Angels reworked and extended Justin Upton‘s contract rather than deal with a possible opt-out. That gave them a power-hitting bat in the middle of the lineup.
Offseason moves strengthened the lineup and the infield defense as the Angels signed Zack Cozart to be their third baseman and traded for second baseman Ian Kinsler from Detroit. However, the addition of both led to furthering an already present lineup issue with the Angels – a lack of a lefty bat.
Currently only Kole Calhoun among regular starters in the Angels lineup swings from the left-handed side with no Angels hitters even switch-hitting. At first base, the Angels intend to go with a platoon of Luis Valbuena and C.J. Cron, with Valbuena’s left-handed bat likely getting the heavy side of the platoon and being available to handle second and third base when he’s not in the starting lineup. The other feasible left-handed bat would come from Shohei Ohtani, if the Angels choose to let him DH on a semi-regular basis.
The current projected bench at Roster Resource includes all right-handed hitters as well, though switch-hitting Kaleb Cowart, Eric Young, Jr., and Nolan Fontana will certainly compete for a bench role in spring, as will lefty-swinging Jose Miguel Fernandez.
So who else could be options for the Angels?
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