2024 is the Los Angeles Angels' first season with Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani. Expectations were low entering the year, and the club, as predicted, is among the worst in the American League.
The team is 52-69 — 13.5 games back in the AL West and 14.0 games from the last Wild Card spot. LA has the third-worst record in the AL. It is a lost season for the Angels as they look to continue their lengthy rebuild. With the final month of the season approaching, these are three Angels players who could be put on waivers to help contenders in their playoff pushes.
Kevin Pillar (OF)
Kevin Pillar has played for an astounding nine teams since the start of the 2019 season. But that has not stopped the veteran outfielder from playing some of his best baseball for the Angels in 2024. Pillar started the year on the Chicago White Sox, batting just .160 in 17 games for the struggling South Siders. The Sox released him, and the 35-year-old found his stride on the West Coast.
Pillar batted .370 with a 1.060 OPS and 24 RBI in his first 27 games in Anaheim. The 35-year-old has cooled off considerably since then, batting just .196 with a .485 OPS in his last 36 contests. The Angels should have looked to trade Pillar while he was hot. Instead, they are stuck with the guy who batted well below the Mendoza line in April and is back in a similar slump.
Kevin Pillar has good platoon splits (batting .340 with a .915 OPS against lefties this year), plus he has good speed and provides solid defense. This combination of talents makes him an ideal backup outfielder for a contender needing a boost.
Brandon Drury (3B)
Brandon Drury was a National League Silver Slugger as a utility player two years ago. Last season, he put up similar numbers in his debut campaign for the Angels, hitting 26 homers with 83 RBI and a .803 OPS. In 2024, Drury has been unable to find any consistency at the plate, resulting in the worst year of his career.
Drury started slowly in April, then spent the better part of the next two months on the IL. Since his return, the 31-year-old has continued to struggle at the plate. His overall numbers are ugly: a .158 batting average, .441 OPS, and just six extra-base hits. Overall, he has been worth -17 runs at the plate in just 66 games while also posting below-average fielding and base-running values.
For much of his career, Brandon Drury has been an above-average fielder at multiple positions who possessed a bat with considerable upside. Whether the 2024 season is a sign of a drastic decline or just a prolonged slump is tough to tell. Either way, Drury has been a liability for LA this season; perhaps another team can extract some value from the aging utility man.
Luis Guillorme (2B/SS/3B)
Luis Guillorme is one of those baseball players that is just there. He does not put up impressive numbers at the plate or make flashy plays in the field. But, he does have good plate discipline, with his whiff and chase rates in the top quartile of the league. Guillorme also offers a solid glove (76th percentile in range, AKA outs above average) with the ability to play second base, third, and shortstop.
Luis Guillorme is far from a notable player, but he could be a decent signing for a club needing infield depth.
Follow Us
Subscribe