Hunter Renfroe dishes on Angels talent, Mike Trout, and settling in after a trade

Tempe, Ariz. — Now playing for his fifth time in the last five seasons, Hunter Renfroe can joke about moving around Major League Baseball so much. However, landing with a talent-rich team like the Los Angeles Angels can certainly make the change of address worth it.

When he was traded this offseason from the Milwaukee Brewers to the Angels, Renfroe didn’t hide his emotions about the swap. However, that’s the business side of things. On Wednesday when the Brewers visited Tempe for a spring training game against the Angels, Renfroe spent plenty of time with familiar faces, including a quick embrace with first baseman Mike Brosseau after Renfroe led off the fourth with a single to center.

“It’s always fun seeing all your former teammates and just reminisce on old times,” Renfroe said. “It’s always good to see the growth that everybody is having.”

That was a visit to the past, but make no mistake that the 31-year-old Renfroe’s eyes are clearly focused on the future and what this Angels team can do in 2023.

Hunter Renfroe joins the “talent” of the Los Angeles Angels lineup

FanGraphs projects Renfroe to be the Opening Day starter for the Halos in right field. It’s a move that Renfroe has been projecting for himself since coming to Anaheim in the late November trade.

“I kind of knew what my role was going to be with this team. You can obviously see the lineup and the talent that’s there and the way that things could play out,” Renfroe said. “You kind of see yourself batting here or there and, without any injuries, I think we’re going to be in a really good shape. Obviously, injuries come into play every season, but long as we can stay healthy as long as possible, it’s going to be fun to watch.”

One of those injuries that Renfroe is certainly hoping to avoid would be the result of any collisions with his new outfield partner, Mike Trout, who will be patrolling center for the Halos as Renfroe settles into right. Renfroe chuckled about communication being a key to “two big bodies running pretty quickly at each other” in the outfield.

“We go out there and talk to each other before games and we’ve been asking each other, ‘What do you want to hear?’ If it’s me yelling, ‘Mike, Mike, Mike,’ is that enough for him to know? We like to hear the same thing in the outfield, but that’s been one of the early things we have already talked about,” Renfroe said.

“He (Trout) is incredible to talk to. We have a lot of things in common, including how we like to hear things in the outfield. Any reiteration that’s going to give you 100 percent certainty that you’re not going to hit each other or you’re on the wall or where you are on the field, that’s going to be the key to communication for us.”

Part of that learning comes from yet another new team, but Renfroe is excited for the next chapter of his career.

“The first time is always the hardest,” Renfroe said of switching teams. “But coming to a team like this that is incredibly talented, it’s easy to mesh with the guys and have fun. Our lineup is incredible. You see it every day. We’re stacked and have a long, deep lineup.”

And Renfroe is expected to add to that lineup, both on the offensive side where he launched 29 homers last season and slashed .255/.315/.492, but also on the defensive front as well.

“I take a lot of pride in my defense. I really do,” said Renfroe, who was praised for his defensive abilities after being acquired by the Angels. “I came into the league in 2016 and didn’t have that great of a showing. My defense wasn’t where I wanted it to be, so I put a big-time emphasis on improving it. I really try to push myself and work as hard as I can on my defensive abilities because I know that’s how we win games, saving runs on the defensive side. If I can throw guys out and if I can run balls down and keep the runner to a single, that’s my job.”

Renfroe and his talents on both sides of the equation will be on display on March 30 when the Angels open the regular season on the road against the Oakland A’s.