Is Elvis Andrus looking to continue his tour of the American League West and add the Angels to his tally? According to MLB insider Jim Bowden, that’s a definite possibility.
Bowden wrote over at The Athletic about likely landing spots for some of the top free agents. It says something about where we are in the offseason that Andrus is up to 14th on the list, but Bowden lists the Angels as one of two likely teams to sign the former Rangers, A’s, and White Sox shortstop.
“Elvis Andrus had a surprisingly impressive year, hitting 32 doubles and 17 home runs, stealing 18 bases and playing an average shortstop. He likely will have to wait until Carlos Correa and Dansby Swanson sign. The Twins and Angels are among the teams that could make sense.”
Andrus is three hits away from 2,000 for his career and four homers away from 100, but while there are a couple offensive milestones in his near future, he’s nobody’s idea of an offensive juggernaut. His OPS+ in 2022 was 103, putting him just three percent better than league average, and that was the third-best mark of his 14-year career. His career OPS+ is 87, and at age 34, it’s unlikely he’s going to suddenly become a great hitter.
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Still, an average defender at short who can hit close to league average is a useful commodity, and if the Angels don’t bag one of the top free-agent shortstops, Andrus could be a useful and much less expensive backup plan in 2023.
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