The Los Angeles Angels announced Brett Phillips as their most recent addition a couple of days ago.
Phillips doesn’t have much of a hit tool, but he makes up for it with grit, excellent defense, smart baserunning, and by being a positive clubhouse presence; not to mention his playoff pedigree.
All things considered, he is a nice piece to have around.
Now, the Angels outfield is a bit crowded.
They have Mike Trout, Hunter Renfroe, Taylor Ward and Shohei Ohtani firmly entrenched as the starters at the three oultfield spots and the designated hitter.
Additionally, they have promising young hitters Mickey Moniak and Jo Adell.
And now Phillips.
There aren’t enough plate appearances to keep everyone satisfied: it’s just so many people.
Despite that being the case, the Angels’ front office insists Phillips is the team’s fourth outfielder.
“Perry Minasian said that Brett Phillips’ job as the Angels’ 4th outfielder is solidified. That doesn’t necessarily mean that Jo Adell or Mickey Moniak couldn’t make the roster, per se. But it’s hard to see how the FO views them fitting on the team if everyone is healthy,” Angels insider Sam Blum tweeted.
While it’s best for Moniak and Adell to be getting regular at-bats, they don’t have much left to prove in the minor leagues and should be challenged in the majors.
Perhaps a trade is the best solution for everybody involved.
The Angels could look to flip one of the two and keep the other one as outfield depth, because injuries always strike.
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