The Los Angeles Angels are struggling to score runs, and they're considering an outfield change as a result.
The Los Angeles Angels have a lineup packed with power hitters, but they’re not scoring nearly enough runs to win. The reasons for this are obvious—the Angels have a lot of dead spots in their lineup, and when the lineup as a whole has a tendency to strike out a lot when things start going sideways.
These are two separate problems to tackle, but the answer to the first one, but the answer to the first one may be in the works. According to a report from Darragh McDonald of MLBTradeRumors.com, the Angels are currently giving infielders Vaughn Grissom and Oswald Pereza work in left field to replace struggling outfielder Josh Lowe.
Lowe’s current slash line is .160/.211/.283, and it’s becoming apparent that this isn’t just a typical spring slow start. Lowe is close to an automatic out these days, and there’s nothing you can point to in any of his recent at-bats that indicate he could be close to turning things around.
It was hard to understand the trade that brought Lowe to Anaheim when it was made, and it’s getting harder by the day to figure out exactly what the Halos had in mind. They gave up a perfectly serviceable reliever in Brock Burke, who’s currently pitching to a 2.75 ERA for the Cincinnati Reds, and while Lowe was acquired to provide defense and speed, he represents a hole in the lineup right now.
Grissom and Peraza have been competing for playing time at second and third, and that’s getting harder to understand, too. Third baseman Yoan Moncada is currently hitting .190, and he’s a defensive liability as well. He normally provides some power when he gets hold of a mistake, but he only has three home runs right now, and the Angels already have plenty of hitters who can supply power.
Peraza, meanwhile, has been one of the Angels’ best players to date. He’s a plus defender at both second and third, and his current slash line is .279/.344/.477, with five homers. He’s clearly ready for a shot at being a full-time player, but for some reason manager Kurt Suzuki doesn’t want to go there.
Grissom has been a pleasant surprise as well. He’s hit well and been a solid fielder at both positions, and he, too, is a hitter who can pound mistakes. He’s not a leadoff hitter in the purest sense, but it would make sense for the Angels to rotate a few options out of the top slot given the way shortstop Zach Neto seemed to come alive when he was dropped in the order.
Making Peraza and Griffin daily players might not solve all the Angels problems, but it’s better than fielding a lineup that makes no sense right now.