The Los Angeles Angels have been active all offseason, and are once again involved for a big named free agent. This time around, they are among the frontrunners on one of the best corner outfielders on the market, according to Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press.
Petzold reported on Sunday that the Angels and Blue Jays lead on Anthony Santander, a right fielder who slugged 44 home runs and put together a wRC+ of 129 in 2024. Los Angeles being interested in Santander could be great news for the Pirates, as the Angels might need to move on from one of their corner outfielders to correspond to such a signing.
Two names that could very well be dealt if the Angels were to land Santander would be Taylor Ward or Jo Adell. The Pirates had interest in Ward at the MLB Trade Deadline, but they ended up choosing Bryan De La Cruz instead. Jeff Passan has reported that Ward remains on the trade market this offseason, and it would seem that a Santander deal would expedite that process.
If Angels rumors for Anthony Santander come to life, Pirates could find their next corner outfielder from Los Angeles.
Ward fits perfectly with the Pirates need, and would boost the Pittsburgh lineup greatly. The right-handed outfielder has two more years of control until becoming a free agent and is owed $4.8 million this year. That fits entirely in Pittsburgh’s price range and would likely not cost as much of a haul as it would have at the deadline, with an extra two months of frenzied control attached to his name.
Last season, Ward belted 25 home runs, 26 doubles, and two triples to generate a slugging percentage of .426. That paired with an on-base percentage of .323 to make an OPS of .748. His wRC+ sat at 111 and he drove in 75 runs.
For the Pirates, Ward would be the most ideal fit, but the Angels may decide to hold onto him (considering the injury history of Mike Trout), creating the alternate pathway of adding Adell. The 25-year-old former top prospect broke out as a defender in 2024, but has struggled to find consistent offense or tap into his power throughout his career.
He has only improved each year, though, and in his first season of consistent playing time, Adell slugged 20 home runs, driving in 62 to go along with a wRC+ of 90. His OPS reached just .682 and he had a poor strikeout rate of 27.9%. Adell has some of the best bat speed in baseball (76.7 miles per hour), which ranks in the 98th percentile. Additionally, he has a great hard-hit rate of 44.7% and an even better barrel rate of 11.7%. Both of those rank in the top 30% of the league.
On top of that, Ward has the edge on Adell defensively, but both have recorded positive outs above average totals. Adell is ranked in the top 15% of the league in sprint speed, while Ward is in the bottom 33%.
Overall, a Santander signing with the Angels could positively impact the Pirates. Los Angeles would likely need to trade an outfielder after the deal, and the Pirates would most definitely be all over that, given their giant hole in right field.
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