Garret Anderson just finished what will likely be his final trip to Anaheim—and his first
as a member of the visiting team. But a new G.A. could be waiting just over the horizon.
With the Baltimore Orioles’ acquisition of Jake Fox from the Oakland A’s this week, Garrett Atkins will be in line to join a new team very soon.
And the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have need of a power-hitting corner infielder.
The A’s-O’s swap has all but sealed Atkins’ fate, destined to be designated for assignment by the worst team in the majors. His .219 average with one home run and nine RBI in 137 at-bats might have something to do with that.
It might not be a match made in heaven, but the Angels still have use for a guy like Atkins.
The former UC Irvine Anteater can play both corner infield positions, where the Angels would like a little stability. Not to mention a little power.
The left side of the Angels’ infield in particular has been an unfortunate mess.
First, it was Brandon Wood, who couldn’t hit a beach ball with a tennis racket. His replacement, Maicer Izturis, was playing admirably until a left forearm strain put him on the 15-day disabled list.
Over on the right side, the primary source of run production for the Angels was lost for the year when Kendry Morales broke his leg, ironically in celebration of a walk-off grand slam.
Since then, the daily lineup around the horn has been a mixed bag of subs and guys playing out of position. Oh, and Wood, who is only on the field because the Angels literally have no other option.
Atkins could help alleviate some of these issues. Particularly, the Angels’ infield power outage.
Despite his poor showing at the plate this year, Atkins spent seven terrific years with the Colorado Rockies and is still batting .285 for his career, while averaging 20 home runs and 97 RBI per season.
The Angels, meanwhile, have four total home runs from their four third baseman this year. Izturis and Wood both have two.
Robb Quinlan and Kevin Frandsen are still looking for their firsts, though that hasn’t discouraged Frandsen at the plate—he is hitting .354 coming into Friday night’s contest.
Over at first, Mike Napoli is tied for the team lead with 12 big flies, but the career catcher is playing well out of position, and although he seems to be getting better on defense, a little backup never hurt anyone.
Atkins could easily easily provide that, spelling both Frandsen and Napoli on defense, giving Hideki Matsui a break at DH, and inserting a veteran presence into the Angels’ patchwork lineup.
Best of all, Atkins’ numbers this season, coupled with the fact that he is on a miserable team, all but guarantee a low asking price from Baltimore, a point that could hinder trades the Angels might otherwise pursue.
Ty Wigginton, another Orioles infielder, is also being shopped this month. But Baltimore has already asked for a young shortstop in return, a hefty price tag for many teams but not entirely unreasonable given Wigginton’s performance this season.
Over in Chicago, Paul Konerko is also swinging the bat surprisingly well, and with his White Sox climbing back into contention in their division, it would likely cost far more than the Angels are willing to pay to retain his services.
Angels general manager Tony Reagins and his predecessor, current team adviser Bill Stoneman, have never been the type to mortgage the future for a shot at success in the present.
Guys like Wigginton and Konerko, as well as other trade targets like Lance Berkman and Adam LaRoche, would cost at least a couple of top-flight prospects to help rebuild their respective franchises.
But not Atkins.
Once he hits the waiver wire, the Angels could easily pick him for a lesser-known prospect or two without risking bigger names like Mark Trumbo or Hank Conger.
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