UPDATE: FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal says the Angels may be reluctant to sign a player with draft pick compensation tied to them (Gordon, Upton) because they'll have to surrender the 18th overall pick in the upcoming draft.
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General manager Billy Eppler made his big splash way earlier in the offseason when he acquired shortstop Andrelton Simmons from the Atlanta Braves. However, the Los Angeles Angels still need help in the outfield despite the presence of Mike Trout and Kole Calhoun.
Rumors have long focused on Eppler addressing the void in left field with one of the top free agents on the market and it appears as if Alex Gordon could be the best fit for the Angels.
"Our focus is very much sharpening toward the outfield," Eppler told Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register.
Eppler also noted he's "having conversations" with the top available names on the market, including Gordon, Yoenis Cespedes and Justin Upton. Rumors from the MLB Winter Meetings suggested the Angels were speaking with Upton's representation, but those talks apparently didn't go far last week.
However, Upton may not be the ideal fit. He's another right-handed power bat who strikes out a lot, which is not something the Angels' offense needs. Cespedes is the same type of hitter as well. Los Angeles needs a left-handed contact hitter and a formidable defender. That would be Gordon.
"One of the areas of focus is on getting guys who make contact, who have an idea of the strike zone," Eppler told Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times. "We don't have to chase after multiple 20-plus homer guys. They're fun, and there's an attraction toward them.
"But you can have an above-average offense and not just have guys who sit and spin and lift the ball out of the park. You can still be a championship-caliber club without that."
Gordon is also regarded as perhaps the best left fielder in the game. Because he's about to be 32 years old he'll likely be a lot cheaper than Upton (projected to sign a $161 million deal) and Cespedes (projected $126 million). Many experts peg Gordon in the $90-$100 million range, which would provide a relief to the Angels' already high payroll.
Let's look at the differences on offense between these three players from the 2015 season:
Cespedes
.291/.328/.542 with 101 runs scored, 35 home runs and 105 RBI
WAR (Wins Above Replacement) - 6.7
DRS (Defensive Runs Saved) - 11
wRC+ (Weighted Runs Created Plus) - 135
BABIP (Batting Average on Balls In Play) - .323
Strikeout % - 20.9% (141 Ks)
Walk % - 4.9%
Upton
.251/.336/.454 with 85 runs scored, 26 home runs and 81 RBI
WAR - 3.6
DRS - 8
wRC+ - 120
BABIP - .304
Strikeout % - 25.6% (159 Ks)
Walk % - 11%
Gordon
*Missed 58 games due to injury
.271/.377/.432 with 40 runs scored, 13 home runs and 48 RBI
WAR - 2.8
DRS - 7
wRC+ - 122
BABIP - .327
Strikeout % - 21.8% (92 Ks)
Walk % - 11.6%
Keep in mind that Gordon returned for just 26 games during the second half of the season after suffering a torn groin and his numbers suffered as he was attempting to get back in a rhythm. He hit .250/.327/.365 with eight runs scored, two home runs and nine RBI in those contests and registered just 10 walks while striking out 29 times. That's a huge hit to his overall season numbers, which were, for the most part, comparable to Cespedes and Upton in many important aspects.
Although he fell short of both of them in WAR, Gordon ranks among the top-10 in the MLB over the past five seasons in that category (25.1 total from 2011-2015). The only other players ahead of him over that span are Mike Trout, Andrew McCutchen, Miguel Cabrera, Adrian Beltre, Joey Votto, Jose Bautista, Robinson Cano and Buster Posey. Additionally, his shortened season only allowed him to accumulate seven DRS, but he averaged 21.75 the four seasons prior. Upton averaged one DRS over that span and Cespedes averaged 1.33 in his first three MLB seasons.
As a result, Gordon is considered a value buy this offseason and his skill set better fits what the Angels need. Despite enduring an injury-shortened campaign, Gordon managed to piece together a solid statistical year and help lead the Royals to a World Series victory.
