If you’re a baseball fan who likes intricate puzzles, consider the outfield maze facing rookie manager Kurt Suzuki as he takes the reins for the Los Angeles Angels. It features multiple pieces that don’t seem to fit together all that well, so he’ll have a real challenge putting it all together.
Start with Mike Trout in center field. This doesn’t sound like a good idea, but Trout wants to do it, and according to Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com he says that playing right was actually tougher on his body than playing center. That sounds kind of shaky, but who are we to contradict a player who hit his 400th home run last year while serving as a full-time DH last year?
It doesn’t sound like this is anything close to a full-time options, and Suzuki tacitly acknowledged that in his comments on putting the outfield together.
“We want options and to be able to mix and match and put people in different spots,” Suzuki said. “It’s early in camp, and then as we kind of settle in toward the end, we can kind of hone in to where they're going to play during the season.”
Jo Adell was the regular center fielder last year, and he definitely needs a different spot. His metrics in center aren’t good, but he could actually be a strength as a corner outfielder. The need for his power bat is unquestioned, so it will be interesting to see if he can land in the right outfield position.
The Angels also traded for Josh Lowe, but his role in this outfield is murky, to say the least. He’s been a right fielder With the Tampa Bay Rays, and while there’s been talk of having him play in center, it’s far more likely he ends up shifting to left.
Then there’s Jorge Soler. He was injured for much of last season, and he’s not a good outfielder to begin with, although he did look lighter when he reported to camp. His outfield fate hinges on what happens with Trout, Adell and others, but he does exist as a possibility.
So do Bryce Teodosio, Jose Siri and Nelson Rada. Teodosio and Siri are defensive outfielders who don’t hit much, while Rada is a top prospect who’s being given a long look in camp because of his speed and defensive potential. The first two might fit as backups, but no one knows where or even if Rada fits at this point in his development given that he’s just 20 years old.