3B In 2025

[Hubs]

I saw a free agent primer today, and it basically has one decent 3B on the market in 2024-2025. This is I think one of the Angels worst offensive positions on the field and the hardest to improve... I do not think Rengifo should be counted on for 135+ games at 3rd. More likely he'll split his time between some 2B, some 3B, and some SS (like 10 games).

And I believe it's time to encourage Rendon to retire. He cannot be the starter at 3B in 2025. Can I live with and Rendon/Rengifo platoon for 2025? Possibly.

bWAR rankings by team show C is 12th, 1B is 17th, 2B is 30th (at -1.3) and 3B is 23rd, SS is 7th, LF is 11th, CF is 24th, and RF is 21st, DH Is 28th. 

So what do they do? In the minors, you have lefty swinging Cole Fontanelle who may jump up to AAA midseason 2025, and even to the majors by 2026, but I do not think he will be in the majors in 2025...for a long time. You can hope he's ready for the majors by say July, but I doubt that he will be.... Without the fibula fracture, I would wager he is the guy to start the majority of games in 2025, but with it, I don't know what to think. He was already very slow.

Should they sign someone like Justin Turner (who doesn't play 3B much anymore), Gio Urshela (who sucked in 2024), or someone else as a platoon bat?

They may be able to trade Taylor Ward and a starter for a young 3B, but I don't know which team is a fit.

 

What do you all think they should do?

[Hubs]

The Reds may be interested in Ward and a Starter for one of their young OF. I'd also shop them to Baltimore.

[BTH]

They should release Rendon and either:

a) sign/acquire a full-time 3B

or

b) extend Rengifo and play him exclusively at 3B.

[jsnpritchett]

2 minutes ago, BTH said:

They should release Rendon and either:

a) sign/acquire a full-time 3B

or

b) extend Rengifo and play him exclusively at 3B.

They will do neither.

[BTH]

Just now, jsnpritchett said:

They will do neither.

Probably, but OP asked “what do you all think they should do?”

[Angels 1961]

1 hour ago, Hubs said:

The Reds may be interested in Ward and a Starter for one of their young OF. I'd also shop them to Baltimore.

What starter are u sending to Reds or Baltimore?

[eligrba]

I would like to see Rengifo play 3B.  Even if Rendon is the official starter, he has proven he is not going to stay on the field for very long.  Other than trying to avoid the potential embarrassment of releasing a player earning a boatload of money who was projected as a middle of the order bat, there is absolutely no reason that Rendon should be on the Angels roster in 2025.

[Dgar24]

I believe Rendon gets released.

I would sign Ha- Seong Kim .He’s Young ,defense is  more than solid at second , short and third. Steals bases takes some walks hit 10 to 20 hrs.

I know we want more power but we haven’t had that in ages at third. Can keep or resign Rengifo as well. I think it would be great depth.

 

 

 

 

[Tank]

we're going to have about 479 threads about this over the next six months. 

[Dgar24]

2 minutes ago, Tank said:

we're going to have about 479 threads about this over the next six months. 

Love the off season.

[EDinTUSTIN]

43 minutes ago, Tank said:

we're going to have about 479 threads about this over the next six months. 

No question about that, Tank.

[EDinTUSTIN]

1 hour ago, eligrba said:

I would like to see Rengifo play 3B.  Even if Rendon is the official starter, he has proven he is not going to stay on the field for very long.  Other than trying to avoid the potential embarrassment of releasing a player earning a boatload of money who was projected as a middle of the order bat, there is absolutely no reason that Rendon should be on the Angels roster in 2025.

I don't share that opinion of Ringifo, eligrbra. There is a lot to like about him: he gives 100% effort, has a good attitude, he works hard, and can fill in at several positions.  That said, he lacks the tools and talent to be a full-time 3rd baseman. I don't think he has the reflexes for the hot corner nor the arm strength.

He is a depth player and a valuable one, however, when he is not hurt. Speaking of him being injured now, he is another of our infamous porcelain dolls who spends way too much time on IR.

On Rendon, I agree 100%. He has no future here.

[greginpsca]

5 hours ago, Hubs said:

I saw a free agent primer today, and it basically has one decent 3B on the market in 2024-2025. This is I think one of the Angels worst offensive positions on the field and the hardest to improve... I do not think Rengifo should be counted on for 135+ games at 3rd. More likely he'll split his time between some 2B, some 3B, and some SS (like 10 games).

And I believe it's time to encourage Rendon to retire. He cannot be the starter at 3B in 2025. Can I live with and Rendon/Rengifo platoon for 2025? Possibly.

bWAR rankings by team show C is 12th, 1B is 17th, 2B is 30th (at -1.3) and 3B is 23rd, SS is 7th, LF is 11th, CF is 24th, and RF is 21st, DH Is 28th. 

So what do they do? In the minors, you have lefty swinging Cole Fontanelle who may jump up to AAA midseason 2025, and even to the majors by 2026, but I do not think he will be in the majors in 2025...for a long time. You can hope he's ready for the majors by say July, but I doubt that he will be.... Without the fibula fracture, I would wager he is the guy to start the majority of games in 2025, but with it, I don't know what to think. He was already very slow.

Should they sign someone like Justin Turner (who doesn't play 3B much anymore), Gio Urshela (who sucked in 2024), or someone else as a platoon bat?

They may be able to trade Taylor Ward and a starter for a young 3B, but I don't know which team is a fit.

 

What do you all think they should do?

I would release Rendon. Then, i would use maybe Ward or Rengifo as trade bait to find a 3rd baseman. Someone with good defense and a low k rate. Someone who has played at least 1 year in AA already. I would use Cole Fontenelle in 26 as a backup 1b/3bman.   In 26, i think Mershan will be a backup 2b/ss. Maybe starting 2b, if Moore sucks at fielding. The other of Ward/Rengifo, who hasn't been traded, i would try to deal for a AAA/AA starter. 

I feel that Trout if really not part of the future of the team. I would love too see him ask for a trade. Eating half of his deal is better then having to pay all of it. The return on a Trout deal could fill more holes or depth.

[totdprods]

They need to bring in another infielder like they did with Drury, someone who can cover at least two infield positions at a minimum, three ideally. That person can also serve as a post-Rengifo bridge if/when they deal him. Someone who is versatile enough that they will sign here without being guaranteed an everyday role at one position. And hopefully that bat plays well enough that he can be traded in his walk year, probably ‘26, unlike Drury. By mid-2026 I can see someone like Fontenelle or Mershon working into the UT IF depth.

I do think seeing Rengifo at 3B, Moore at 2B, and Rendon DH/DFA/Bench is a pretty likely configuration come May 2025 though, all things considered. 

[DMVol]

12 hours ago, totdprods said:

They need to bring in another infielder like they did with Drury, someone who can cover at least two infield positions at a minimum, three ideally. That person can also serve as a post-Rengifo bridge if/when they deal him. Someone who is versatile enough that they will sign here without being guaranteed an everyday role at one position. And hopefully that bat plays well enough that he can be traded in his walk year, probably ‘26, unlike Drury. By mid-2026 I can see someone like Fontenelle or Mershon working into the UT IF depth.

I do think seeing Rengifo at 3B, Moore at 2B, and Rendon DH/DFA/Bench is a pretty likely configuration come May 2025 though, all things considered. 

A 2023 Drury would be a good get....Urshela was a good get also, and he fits your critera, he just get hurt....He's been good with Atlanta since they picked him up from Detroit.  

[totdprods]

30 minutes ago, DMVol said:

A 2023 Drury would be a good get....Urshela was a good get also, and he fits your critera, he just get hurt....He's been good with Atlanta since they picked him up from Detroit.  

I think, unless given a huge green-light by Arte to spend to win, if I were GM my focus would be stacking the MLB club with a bunch of flier 1-yr deal vets, maybe one 2-3 year SP, a 2-yr RP, and a 2-3 year everyday bat. 

Get guys we can flip this deadline or next if they’re playing well, or can cut without much money lost if they suck or if a better internal option emerges.

Roasario, Kiner-Falefa, maybe even Moncada.

[Dtwncbad]

What about a guy like Willy Adames?  Good power.  At 29/30 and pushing 220 lb, maybe he is better off sliding to third.

[Hubs]

1 minute ago, Dtwncbad said:

What about a guy like Willy Adames?  Good power.  At 29/30 and pushing 220 lb, maybe he is better off sliding to third.

Would make some sense. But I feel like most SS do not want to move off of SS, ever. Especially as a lot of teams will be looking at him as a SS.

[totdprods]

3 minutes ago, Dtwncbad said:

What about a guy like Willy Adames?  Good power.  At 29/30 and pushing 220 lb, maybe he is better off sliding to third.

He’s in prime shape to be top FA SS this year. Why move? He’d be competing against Bregman for 3B FA dollars.

Edited Wednesday at 06:00 PM by totdprods

[jsnpritchett]

3 minutes ago, Dtwncbad said:

What about a guy like Willy Adames?  Good power.  At 29/30 and pushing 220 lb, maybe he is better off sliding to third.

Adames is probably going to get a $150M+ contract. Doesn't seem to be the type of thing the team is going to be looking at right now. 

[tdawg87]

I think 3B is Rendon's until his contract is up. Which means the Angels need a lot of innings at 3rd. I don't know what the plan is for 2B next year, but that will coincide with what they do at 3rd for depth. 

I'm sure Moore will be given a shot at it this spring, which I mean ok whatever. They still need some 2 fWAR guys, as @Inside Pitch has often stated. That's gonna be tough considering how awful this FA class is. 

Paul DeJong is an option to cover 3rd and SS. Gio Urshela seems obvious I guess. Maybe Gleyber Torres if they want to spend the money, but that could potentially block Moore. 

Rengifo needs to be healthy for once. That would be huge. But also unlikely. 

They need to see some serious advancement in the system next year. 

[totdprods]

12 minutes ago, tdawg87 said:

I think 3B is Rendon's until his contract is up. Which means the Angels need a lot of innings at 3rd. I don't know what the plan is for 2B next year, but that will coincide with what they do at 3rd for depth. 

I'm sure Moore will be given a shot at it this spring, which I mean ok whatever. They still need some 2 fWAR guys, as @Inside Pitch has often stated. That's gonna be tough considering how awful this FA class is. 

Paul DeJong is an option to cover 3rd and SS. Gio Urshela seems obvious I guess. Maybe Gleyber Torres if they want to spend the money, but that could potentially block Moore. 

Rengifo needs to be healthy for once. That would be huge. But also unlikely. 

They need to see some serious advancement in the system next year. 

Every time I start drafting up a 2025 roster, Rendon is at 3B and Trout is in CF, but at this point it’s hard to think either will come to fruition. On paper that’s what it is, but I figure before long it’ll be Rengifo moving over to 3B and Moore stepping in at 2B.

DeJong does seem like a pretty uninspiring but realistic choice since he can back-up SS too, which we are in dire need of. I’d be okay with him being our bench IF in some scenarios. 

I like Gleyber as an option too, but he’s been very insistent on being a 2B and if that‘s going to be Moore’s first attempt at a position, it rules Gleyber out. 

[Turd Ferguson]

Mets have a bit of a logjam with Vientos and Baty. Wonder if we could pry one of them away?

[T.G.]

[jsnpritchett]

5 minutes ago, T.G. said:

Who is that?