The Halos’ starting right fielder is finishing out the final week of his career season in what could be his final week in an Angels uniform.
MVP favorite Mike Trout is healing from successful foot surgery Friday. Justin Upton continues to rest after ending his season early with a knee injury. Jo Adell plays into his first full week of Arizona Fall League action in Mesa. Brian Goodwin wraps up a pleasantly surprising debut season in Anaheim. All the while, Kole Calhoun quietly completes his sixth consecutive season as the Angels’ starting right fielder and may be the favorite for a second Rawlings Gold Glove award.
Calhoun assumed the role of the Angels starting right fielder from legendary outfielder Torii Hunter in 2014 and could be playing his final games as a Halo. Calhoun’s current guaranteed contract comes to an end this week. The Angels have a club option they can pick up for $14 million, or they may choose to pay him to exercise their $1 million buyout instead, allowing him to test free agency. Considering the Angels’ outfielder has been healthy, hit 33 home runs (so far) this year, and made a series of unbelievable defensive plays in right field again, it would seem tempting to bring him back.
The Angels surely would like to bring Calhoun’s talent back to Anaheim for another season. On the other hand, is picking up the option in his contract fiscally responsible for a team with depth at the outfield position? The Angels are faced with the obvious need for salary flexibility to secure top-level free agent pitchers.
Jo Adell has been the heir apparent to Calhoun in the Angels’ outfield since he was drafted two years ago. With Trout’s extension and Upton already signed through 2022, right field has appeared to be the eventual opening for Adell when called to Anaheim. Adell finished his season at Triple-A Salt Lake before heading to Mesa for Arizona Fall League this week. He seems poised to make a run for an early-season call-up in 2020 to begin his MLB career. Brian Goodwin is also under team control for three more years and gives the Angels the luxury of depth at the position. The Angels could decide to go with a starting outfield of Trout, Upton, and Goodwin to begin next season with current players like Michael Hermosillo and Taylor Ward available as the fourth outfielder.
The addition of Calhoun to the 2020 club would be a luxury for the Angels next year. Fans should celebrate Calhoun’s Angels career as the 2019 season concludes. Calhoun will forever be a lasting part of the Angels’ franchise history. That’s something to reflect on during what could be his final games as a Los Angeles Angel.
Salute to Kole Calhoun.
This Week
The Angels finished a tough six-game road trip to New York and Houston against the powerful Astros on Sunday afternoon. They flew home Sunday night and are off Monday before hosting their final six games of the season at the Big A this week. They will continue to play the role of spoiler to complete the season with two contests against the Oakland Athletics and then with four over the weekend against the AL West champion Astros.
Although official starters have not been announced for all this week’s games, I would expect the Angels to see the following match-ups this coming week.
7:07 PM (PT) Tuesday hosting Oakland Athletics: Dillon Peters versus Brett Anderson
7:07 PM (PT) Wednesday hosting Oakland Athletics: Andrew Heaney versus Homer Bailey
7:07 PM (PT) Thursday hosting Houston Astros: Jaime Barria versus Wade Miley
7:07 PM (PT) Friday at Houston Astros: Patrick Sandoval versus Justin Verlander
6:07 PM (PT) Saturday at Houston Astros: Jose Suarez versus Jose Urquidy
12:07 PM (PT) Sunday at Houston Astros: Dillon Peters versus Gerrit Cole
Probable pitchers are always subject to change.
Angels Down in The Farm
Brandon Marsh rakes. His smooth, left-handed stroke has been exciting for Angels fans to monitor as he’s progressed through Double-A this past season. This past week, Marsh began his first season in the Arizona Fall League and displayed these hitting skills right away, going two-for-four in each of his first two games with the Mesa Solar Sox and hitting .455 through Saturday night’s game.
Marsh is a mature baseball player for his age and I’ve had him ranked in the top three of my Future Halos prospect ranking for the past three years. Marsh most likely will begin next year at Triple-A Salt Lake but he should impact the big-league club at some point in 2020.
