Could Brewers 1B/DH be a fit for the Angels?
The Los Angeles have had their fair share of struggles this season, but they have also seen success. It has been a very bumpy season, as the Angels are currently five games back of the red-hot Houston Astros for first place in the AL West. One of the biggest inconsistency’s for the Angles this season has been their offense. It has struggled to consistently put up runs and to give support to their starting pitchers. Amidst the changes in leadership, and reported power struggles, the Angels are said to be looking for ways to upgrade to their lineup via trade.
The Angles have one of the best young talents in Mike Trout, who is only 23 years old. He’s already accomplished a ton during his short career. Plus they have Albert Pujols who was on fire in the month of June, looking more like the Pujols of old. But even with those two huge offensive threats the Angles are ranked 22nd in the Majors in runs scored. Trout leads all Angels hitters in every offensive category except for two. He leads AVG (.303), SB (9), R (57), OBP(.393), SLG (.590), and OPS (.983). What Trout doesn’t lead Pujols does, 24 home runs and 49 RBI this season, but then the production falls off significantly.
The Angels are missing consistent production in the rest of their line up. While they might have one of the best one-two punches in the game, without other players surrounding them they can’t be an effective unit. The Angles will need to add a bat or two at the deadline if they want to contend into the fall. According to Jon Morosi of Fox Sports, the Angels have been actively inquiring on several players, and would ideally like to add either a LF or a DH that is a lefty with a good amount of power. But this task just got a little bit more difficult after GM Jerry Dipoto resigned on Wednesday, after it seems he has lost the power struggle between himself and skipper Mike Scioscia. Scioscia and Dipoto have had their issues, but many thought that they would be able to co-exist. Instead, it looks like Scioscia has won another battle in what seems to be a lifetime appointment as the Halos’ skipper.
Dipoto was the architect behind free agent signings like Pujols, Josh Hamilton, and C.J. Wilson. To this point, the best fit that has been connected to the Angels has been Brewers 1B/DH Adam Lind. He is the epitome of left-handed power, and could add a serious threat against right-handed pitching. Los Angeles has also been linked to Ben Revere of the Phillies. He’s not a power hitter to be sure, but he could be a nice table settle for the Halos ahead of Trout, Pujols and Cole Calhoun.
Either addition would have a significant impact on the individual players and others in the Angels’ lineup. Revere would get a slight lineup upgrade, and would likely be hitting in front of major RBI producers, increasing his run potential. Lind might still be tough to play in weekly standard leagues, but he would continue to hold value as a DFS option, at the very least. Trout, Pujols and others would only benefit from additional help, and the Angels’ SPs could also see a greater win potential with the additional run support.
James McGowan is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from James, check out his archive or follow him @jmc3310.
