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Los Angeles Angels: Three players to target from the Mariners

By Jason Reed

ANAHEIM, CA - JULY 29: Andrelton Simmons #2 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim waits for the throw as Dee Gordon #9 of the Seattle Mariners slides safely into second base on the steal in the first inning during the MLB game at Angel Stadium on July 29, 2018 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Victor Decolongon/Getty Images)
ANAHEIM, CA - JULY 29: Andrelton Simmons #2 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim waits for the throw as Dee Gordon #9 of the Seattle Mariners slides safely into second base on the steal in the first inning during the MLB game at Angel Stadium on July 29, 2018 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Victor Decolongon/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Angels
(Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Angels /

2. Mike Zunino

If the Los Angeles Angels were going to address a different position with the Seattle Mariners it would undoubtedly be the catcher position. While the Mariners do have interesting trade chips elsewhere, the Angels would get the most value out of inquiring for Mike Zunino.

Zunino is one of the leading candidates to get dealt this winter and would be a perfect trade target for the Angels considering the weak free agent class.

The Angels need help behind the plate. Los Angeles dealt Gold Glove-winning catcher Martin Maldonado to the Houston Astros midway through the season. If the Angels do not make any additions then the team will be relying heavily on catchers that aren’t necessarily starting caliber.

The two catchers currently on the team’s depth chart are Jose Briceno and Kevan Smith. Briceno has 117 games to his name with a .239 batting average while Smith has 463 games under his belt. Last season, Smith played in 52 games with the Chicago White Sox and posted a .728 OPS.

Smith is a decent option for the Angels but should not be the team’s everyday catcher, especially if they are trying to make a postseason push. Instead, the team can create a 1-2 punch with Smith and Zunino that would be enough to hold the team up during a postseason push.

Zunino does not have great offensive numbers but has some pop in his swing and is a great defensive catcher behind the plate. Zunino had the fifth-best FanGraphs defensive rating among catchers with at least 400 plate appearances last season.

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