Angels set to go with Trout-Bourjos-Trumbo outfield
Speaking about the decision not to make a qualifying offer to free agent
Torii Hunter on Friday, Angels GM Jerry Dipoto said he intends to go young
and cheap in the outfield next season.
That means it’ll likely be Mike Trout in left, Peter Bourjos in center and
Mark Trumbo in right on Opening Day.
“It wasn’t that we couldn’t fit Torii’s salary in” Dipoto said. “We
made the decision to allow Trout, Trumbo and Bourjos to play on an every-day
basis.”
That’s quite a change from last season, when Bourjos turned into nothing
more than a defensive replacement after losing his job to Trout. He started
just two games during the final two months, one of those coming in the final
series after the Angels were eliminated. He had a total of two plate
appearances in a seven-week span between Aug. 10 and Sept. 30.
Bourjos, though, is perhaps the game’s best defensive center fielder and one
of the few people on the planet who could push Trout into a corner. Many
believed Trout should have won a Gold Glove for his play in center last
season.
Trumbo, a natural first baseman, got a brief look at third to begin last
season, but that didn’t go to well. He went on to hit his way into the
outfield picture and make 97 starts between left and right. However, his
offense performance cratered after he made his first All-Star team in July;
he hit just .227/.271/.359 with 10 homers and an 88/14 K/BB ratio in 256
at-bats after the break.
Besides leaving no room for Hunter, Dipoto’s decision also means Vernon
Wells will be a $21 million fourth outfielder unless the Angels can trade
him. He’s set to make about 10 times as much as the three starters ahead of
him combined.
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