Angels second base trade options

Anyone that’s been paying attention to the Angels this spring knows that one of the main storylines is “Who will play second base for the Angels?” This was bound to come up after the Angels parted ways with Howie Kendrick and, to be clear, Jerry Dipoto fully knew what he was getting himself into when he dealt Kendrick. The options for Jerry included Grant Green who is a no-glove, all hit option, Alex Yarbrough who hasn’t played a single game above Double-A or attempt to re-sign Gordon Beckham, who is great on defense, performed well for the Halos and has upside, but also tanked it for the White Sox for the last half decade.

Thus, we saw an infusion of “talent” at the position with the idea that it’d be an all-out war in Spring Training to see who comes away with the job. Jairo Diaz was dealt for Josh Rutledge in what has become an increasingly terrible move on Dipoto’s part. While Rutledge has the minor league success and range to be a quality everyday player, things in the majors have just been a disaster for him and this spring is no different. Johnny Giavotella was traded for basically nothing. Once a top prospect, Giavotella was with the Royals and was highly successful in the minor leagues both at the plate and on the base paths. But the Royals were never fully invested in him and what we saw was a lot of bouncing between Triple-A and the majors and never finding a rhythm. The Angels bought low and are hoping that perhaps a full-time job may lead to Johnny living up to the potential he clearly had coming up. Taylor Featherston was picked in the Rule 5 draft with the idea that he’d fill the utility infielder role and was a darkhorse candidate for the second base job. However, his defense has made it so that he’s more fitting of a utility role than a starting role.

But what if none of these options work out? Where can the Angels go from there? Believe it or not, there are some possibilities on the horizon that could easily be acquired.

1. Alex Guerrero – Guerrero was a high profile Cuban signing for the Dodgers a little over a year ago. Since then, things appeared to have soured in their relationship. The Dodgers never gave him a shot at second base and proceeded to move him around the infield and outfield in an attempt to fit him into their plans. In the mean time, the Dodgers also traded for Darwin Barney to play second base and have now made a 60 million dollar investment in another Cuban Hector Olivera, which has put Guerrero’s future with the Dodgers very much in doubt. One thing that is not in question however, is Guerrero’s ability to hit. He absolutely crushed the ball in the PCL last season. This spring it’s been more of the same too. While he isn’t a “plus” defender, he’s showing his ability to play adequately all over the field. Alex is also in his physical prime at age 28. Those are all the positives. But like all great deals, there’s a catch. Guerrero’s contract makes it so that if he is traded, his contract will automatically be voided at the end of the season. Meaning if the Angels traded for Guerrero, he’d be a free agent at the end of the year, making him a one-year rental. Dipoto has seemed reluctant to put himself in that situation thus far as it isn’t conducive toward building a future. Guerrero is also due $6.5 million this year, which isn’t a lot for an everyday player, but it’s also a price that makes it so that any team acquiring him better be certain he’s their go-to guy because, unless you’re the Dodgers, that’s too much to pay a minor leaguer/back-up.

2. Darwin Barney – Barney is also on the Dodgers roster, but he’s sort of the opposite of Alex Guerrero. Barney is a defensive specialist at both second base and shortstop. Offensively, he’s a lock to hit around .250 with a low OBP and not much power or speed, meaning he has very little offensive value. But in comparison to the Angels current options, a guaranteed .250 batting average may be something the Angels covet. We know his defense would certainly be an upgrade in any case and would be welcomed by the Angels pitching staff. Barney could also serve as a utility infielder and would be under team control for three more seasons.

3. Chase Utley – He’s probably the most attractive option of the bunch but is also one that is he least likely. Utley is a native Southern Californian which may make him more likely to accept a trade to the Angels. Chase is a potential Hall of Famer, who has played solid defense, hit for both gap power and power, stolen some bases and gotten on base at a consistent clip. The problem, however, is that Utley has had a hard time staying healthy as he’s aged, he’s now 36 years old, which means he’s also no longer the MVP caliber player he once was. He also comes attached with a $15 million price tag, which is a ton of money to spend on a 36-year old second baseman. Utley also has $15 million vesting options which will come into effect with 500 plate appearances for the next three seasons after that. This means that as a full-time player, the Angels could potentially pay Utley $45 million for his age 37-39 seasons of his career. Of course, this is unlikely to happen mostly because Utley as we said has had a difficult time staying healthy, and if he is no longer the offensive threat he once was, the Angels would have no reason to play him full time. Alden Gonzalez of the Angels has also reported that the Phillies would be looking for very little in return for Utley, as they’re in rebuilding mode and are likely more concerned with saving money for the future. This trade however would be the opposite of what Dipoto’s mantra has been so far, which is to get younger, more athletic and more cost controlled.