Carlos Gonzalez
If the Los Angeles Angels really wanted to make a big splash, they could go for a big bat from the left side, one that could possibly be an All-Star caliber player for the team.
Gonzalez is the type of player who could do just that. The list of accomplishments in his career is long – 3 All-Star appearances, 3 Gold Gloves, 2 Silver Sluggers, a batting title, and a top-5 MVP finish in 2010.
Gonzalez has struggled through injuries for much of his career, and since he’s been healthy after his last major injury in 2014, he’s lost a significant step on the defensive side of things, which would make him a most likely candidate to work as a fill-in in the corner outfields and spend most of his time spelling Albert Pujols at DH.
While his glove work has slipped, Gonzalez is coming off the first real “poor” offensive season of his career, and even then, there were very positive things to see coming out of the season he had. As the month of July closed, Gonzalez was hitting just .228/.301/.339 for the season with 6 home runs over 86 games and 345 plate appearances.
Gonzalez went on a tear for the last two months of the season, hitting a robust .325/.407/.583 over the final 50 games and 189 plate appearances with 8 home runs and a much better BB/K ratio as well.
Gonzalez is just 32 and getting his likely last chance for a multi-year deal, so the Angels may have to sink more than a single season into Gonzalez, but with a 40 home run season, 40 double season, 100 RBI season, and three straight seasons of at least 135 games played over the last three years, Gonzalez may be exactly the type of hitter the Los Angeles Angels need.
Another factor for the consider is Gonzalez’s track record against fellow AL West opponents. Gonzalez owns a .986 OPS against the Rangers, a .811 OPS against the Athletics, and a .973 OPS against the Astros.
Landing Gonzalez may require in the range of a 2-3 year deal for $18-23 million annually, but if he can produce at the level of previous seasons or even just the most recent production he displayed on the field in 2017, he would be more than worth it to balance out the lineup with a lefty threat.
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