Mike Trout moving out of center field opens the door for a real roster puzzle in Anaheim: who takes over in 2027, and how does the Angels lineup avoid creating a hole with the bat?
The defensive answer looks easier than the offensive one. Trout was a liability in the field this past season, and shifting him to left field should help the overall team defense while keeping his bat in the lineup. That bat, which should earn him a 10th Silver Slugger this year, is still too important to lose.
But center field now becomes a question of fit, not just glove work. The Angels need someone who can cover ground, yes, but they also can’t afford an empty spot in the order. With the offense already below MLB standards, the position has to bring more than range.
Wade Meckler makes sense on a few levels. He has plus speed, and most of his minor league reps came in center, where he logged 114 games before adding 18 more at the Major League level. He struggled at first in left field this season, then settled in as a standout right fielder and was credited with saving six defensive runs in a single month.
At the plate, Meckler’s 120 wRC+ this season and his ability to hit right-handed pitching make him the club’s most natural leadoff option. The speed is there for center field, but he still looks unproven at the position. The Angels could also decide they’d rather keep him in right, where he’s already thriving and can preserve his legs for the bases.
Jose Siri gives the Angels another possibility, but his case is murkier. He built his reputation on defense, yet the metrics said he was below average in the field this season.
His offense didn’t do much to offset that, either, with a 97 wRC+ and just 0.1 fWAR overall. It could be age, or it could be inconsistent playing time, but either way he didn’t look like a firm answer.
For now, Siri looks more like a fourth outfielder or the short side of a platoon with Meckler. He did manage a .230/.304/.434 line against southpaws last year and hit six of his ten home runs with the platoon advantage.
The free-agent market doesn’t offer much help. The top names at the position are Tyrone Taylor and Luis Robert Jr., and neither one screams franchise-changing pickup. They should also come relatively cheap, which tells you plenty.
Taylor is the cleaner fit on paper. He played high school baseball in Southern California, and his defense stands out.
His 127 wRC+ this season looks strong, though it’s also unlikely to hold. Still, he brings value against lefties, with a career .256/.309/.435 line, and the report notes his leadership as another plus.
That combination makes him a legitimate regular in center field.
Robert Jr. brings more upside, but his injury history hangs over everything. He posted an OPS+ of 130 from 2021 through 2023, then couldn’t stay on the field.
He missed 114 games over the previous two seasons and then sat out 101 in 2026. He’s still only 29 and still has the foot and bat speed that once made him one of the game’s most promising prospects, but banking on him for everyday center field duty is a risky bet.
Then there’s Nelson Rada, once the Angels’ top prospect and still a player with a very clear defensive identity. He’s an excellent defender with strong on-base skills and speed on the bases, but there’s almost no power in the profile and he hasn’t reached the Major League level yet. The Angels may have held off on promoting him because they didn’t want to add players to the 40-man roster before a lockout, or it may simply have been a matter of his development at Triple-A.
Rada was young for every stop along the way, including last year at Triple-A as a 19-year-old. He still can’t legally buy a beer, and his .289/.391/.363 line in 786 plate appearances in the Pacific Coast League comes with a warning label. That league is hitter-friendly, and a slugging percentage in the .300s there is not ideal.
What Rada does have is a strong batting eye, plenty of walks, and real speed, with 214 stolen bases in five minor league seasons. In theory, he and Meckler could give the Angels two high-on-base, high-speed threats at the top of the lineup. In practice, pitchers might simply challenge Rada in the strike zone because he doesn’t yet look like someone who can punish them.
If the Angels go deeper into rebuilding mode, the fit becomes clearer: Rada in center, Meckler in right, Trout in left. That alignment would maximize the defense. But even with reasons to like Rada - and even if Denard Span is a reasonable comp - the hit tool remains the big question.
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Angels Face Tough Calls That Could Shape Their New Era
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The same uncertainty extends beyond the roster. Kurt Suzuki is entering the final season of his contract, and the timing of any decision on his future may depend on when new ownership is in place. For a team trying to define its next chapter, those parallel questions at catcher, in the lineup and on the bench underline how much of the new era could be shaped by choices made long before the first pitch of next season. [Read more 🡒]