What this really boils down to for the LA Angels is how they view their current group of players, most importantly David Fletcher, Luis Rengifo, and Matt Thaiss. Fletcher is obviously a starter, but could he log meaningful innings in the corner outfield and still provide solid defense?
The other two are young players who, despite showing flashes last year, might not be ready to be the first options off the bench on a contending team (which the Angels plan to be in 2020). That’s where Ben Zobrist comes in.
I wrote last week about one player the Angels shouldn’t allow Joe Maddon to reunite with, but Ben Zobrist is a perfect candidate to bring to Anaheim and link up with his old manager.