One of the offseason calculations that the Los Angeles Angels had to make after losing Shohei Ohtani was what to do with the designated hitter position. One option was to leave it open so that Mike Trout, Anthony Rendon and others could take turns DH’ing as a means of preserving health for an oft-injured lineup. The other was to bring in a veteran DH like J.D. Martinez to ensure a quality hitter next to the team’s stars.
With Spring Training over halfway done and the regular season only two weeks away, Martinez remains on the board as a free agent. There have even been rumors that the Angels are still keeping tabs on him. But it seems that it’s more due diligence and less a serious pursuit.
Angels manager Ron Washington confirmed on Wednesday that the team is leaning more toward the first option than the second as the 2024 season nears, according to Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com:
“We’re going to get Mike off his feet at least once a week and Rendon off his feet at least once a week,” Washington said. “I think it’s going to be very substantial for [Trout’s] workload, especially with him roaming center field. He knows that he can do it. So I’m gonna allow him to do it and give him the breaks when he thinks he needs the breaks. But I’m not going to make it two or three times a week. We don’t want it to get in his head.”
The Angels appeared to have been leaning this way all offseason, as injuries have derailed Trout and Rendon’s last three campaigns. Getting them a chance to get out of the field and focus on only batting once or twice a week would be hugely effective at preserving them for a whole season.
And in the meantime, the Angels certainly have enough glove talent to make up for it. This opens doors for Mickey Moniak and Jo Adell in the outfield and affords the Angels the opportunity to carry both players with Aaron Hicks for the long term.
Angels’ Jo Adell getting recognized by Ron Washington
Washington has been impressed with the work that he’s seen from Adell this Spring. He feels that he is a different player than the one he saw on tape over the last few seasons, and Adell agrees. The young Angels outfielder feels he’s in as good a rhythm as he has been in the Majors.
