Los Angeles Angels: Wilson Ramos should be biggest offseason target

The Los Angeles Angels are going to need to add pieces this offseason to make a postseason push in 2019. Among potential targets, Wilson Ramos stands out.

The Los Angeles Angels have backed up in a corner of sorts with how to run the team in the near future.

With the best player in baseball in Mike Trout leading the way, the Angels have been unable to win a playoff game since 2009, when Trout was just 18 years old. Injuries mixed with underperformance have held the Angels back with just one postseason appearance in 2014.

The underperformance has caused the Angels to go out and make the big move whenever possible. Prior to Trout becoming a star, the team signed Albert Pujols to a record-setting 10-year, $240 million contract. After seven seasons in LA, that contract does not look pretty.

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The team even brought in Josh Hamilton, which ended up being a total disaster that set the franchise back. With the stench of Hamilton’s $26 million cap hit finally gone, the front office decided to go all-in on winning last season.

This meant landing the most coveted free agent of the offseason, Shohei Ohtani. And while Ohtani was good at both hitting and pitching, he will have Tommy John surgery and will not pitch again until 2020.

Other additions included Zack Cozart and Ian Kinsler (who ended up getting traded to the Boston Celtics) and a five-year, $106 million contract for Justin Upton.

With a young rotation that finally looked to be healthy, the Angels looked primed to be a playoff team.

Now, after an 80-82 season, the Angels have too much money invested into this team to strip it down and start from scratch. Plus, the team needs to do everything possible to create a playoff team for Mike Trout, who can hit the open market after two more seasons.

And while the front office wants to make Trout an Angel for life, if the team cannot win, Trout may not be interested in staying in LA.

The free agent market is not exceptionally deep this offseason and the Angels are going to have to be smart on who to pursue. Cozart and Kinsler ended up being very underwhelming and LA must avoid that.

Among the team’s biggest needs is at the catcher position. And among the potential targets, the Angels should target the best available, Wilson Ramos.

Ramos had a fantastic season split between the Tampa Bay Rays and Philadelphia Phillies in 2018. Ramos hit .306 with 15 home runs and 70 RBIs. His .845 OPS was the best among catchers with at least 400 plate appearances and 2.4 WAR was the fifth-best among all catchers, per FanGraphs.

There are injury concerns as Ramos has been hurt in parts of the last two seasons. And the last thing the Angels need is another promising talent that is going to be injury prone.

However, there were still only 11 catchers in baseball that had more plate appearances than Ramos and 12 played in more games than the 111 that Ramos played in.

Plus, Ramos proved that he could be a reliable option on a playoff contending team with the Washington Nationals, playing in the ninth-most games among catchers in 2015 and 2016.

I get the concerns around Ramos. However, there are going to be injury concerns around any catcher the Angels bring in. Ramos is the best available option in a free agency group that is not that great. The Angels have to target the best.

Next. Angels' areas of need entering the offseason. dark

The Angels need to avoid overpaying Ramos and signing him to a contract that is too lengthy. If he takes something around two years and $25-28 million then great.

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