Angels pitchers and catchers are scheduled for their first workout of spring training on Feb. 11. As we count down the days until camp begins, we are going through the various position groups to give a breakdown of where the roster stands. Today, the infielders. Previously, the outfielders and catchers.
2025 RECAP
Shortstop Zach Neto continued his progression, clearly separating himself as the best player among the Angels’ young core. Neto produced a .793 OPS, with 26 home runs and 26 stolen bases. He missed the beginning of the season while rehabbing from his 2024 shoulder surgery. He also missed the end of the season because of discomfort from getting hit by a pitch in August. First baseman Nolan Schanuel also took a small step forward, producing a .742 OPS. He was one of the only players in the lineup who struck out at a lower than average rate. Coming into the season, the Angels were desperate to improve their production at the other two spots, but they remained toward the bottom of the majors at both. Luis Rengifo got the bulk of the time at second until Christian Moore came up. At third, Yoán Moncada provided some solid offense when he was healthy – which was only half the time – with shaky defense.
HOW IT LOOKS RIGHT NOW
Neto and Schanuel are back. Neto will be 25 and Schanuel will be 24, so both are still on the way up. If they can each take another step from last season, the Angels will be in good shape at both spots. The other two positions are questions once again. The Angels are bringing back Moncada at third. Moncada is still just 30, so he has a chance to be productive if he can stay on the field. Despite his flaws, he provides some value to the lineup by being a switch-hitter with a knack for putting the ball in play. Moore goes into the camp as the most likely player to emerge as the everyday second baseman. He’s still 23 and has played just one full season as a professional, so the Angels might have to ride out some more bumps with him. This winter the Angels traded for Vaughn Grissom, a former top prospect who didn’t reach his potential with either the Atlanta Braves or Boston Red Sox. Grissom, 25, could see time at second or third. The Angels still believe he has plenty of offensive upside, and they’re hoping a change of scenery helps get him there. Oswald Peraza could wind up getting time at first, second or third. He’s another former top prospect who has never hit, although he showed some flashes late last season after some mechanical changes.
THE NEXT LAYER
Shortstop Denzer Guzman, who turns 22 next month, got his first taste of the majors last September, earning the promotion after hitting 17 homers with a .769 OPS at Double-A and Triple-A. If anything happens to Neto, Guzman would probably become the everyday shortstop. Otherwise, his path to the big leagues is most likely at third, if (when?) Moncada is out for an extended period. Kyren Paris made a splash in the majors last April, but then hit a slump and returned to the minors. Paris is a natural infielder who can also play outfield. If he hits in the minors, he could work his way into a major league job at second, third or center field.
MOVE THEY COULD MAKE
The Angels clearly gave up on the best free agent fit – third baseman Eugenio Suárez – when they decided to re-sign Moncada. Now, if they want to try something radical, they could swing a deal with the St. Louis Cardinals for second baseman Brendan Donovan. (Moore could spend more time at Triple-A and work toward playing third or even outfield.) Donovan is a perfect fit – a quality left-handed hitter with two years of control – but he would also be expensive. The Angels would probably have to trade one of their top prospects as part of a package to get him. If they made a move like that, the logical thing would be follow it by signing a premium free agent pitcher – Framber Valdez or Zac Gallen – to show they’re speeding up their planned path to back to contention.