Crowded outfield creates lineup flexibility for Angels in 2026

TEMPE, Ariz. -- The Angels aren’t short on options in the outfield, but new manager Kurt Suzuki will have to juggle playing time and who plays where when configuring his lineups this season.

Superstar Mike Trout could potentially solve a problem with his intention to move back to center field this season, since the Angels don’t have an everyday center fielder on their roster. It would allow Jo Adell and Josh Lowe to play corner outfield, which is where they are better suited, while Jorge Soler will also play in the field some, in addition to his designated hitter duties.

The Angels are likely to ultimately have one defensive-minded center fielder on the roster, with Bryce Teodosio and non-roster invitee Jose Siri as their top options. But they also have players who are competing for utility roles and have some outfield experience, such as Chris Taylor, Vaughn Grissom and Adam Frazier. Kyren Paris, Matthew Lugo and Wade Meckler comprise some other internal options.

With such a wide selection, Suzuki said he hasn’t made up his mind on how it’ll look just yet.

“We want options and to be able to mix and match and put people in different spots,” Suzuki said. “It’s early in camp, and then as we kind of settle in toward the end, we can kind of hone in to where they're going to play during the season.”

Here’s a look at the Angels’ top options in the outfield this spring:

Mike Trout
Trout moved to right field last year in an attempt to stay healthy, but only played 22 games there before sustaining a bone bruise to his surgically repaired left knee on April 30. The injury kept him out for a month, making him serve as DH the rest of the way. But Trout said he’s now healthy and feels more comfortable in center. He felt playing right was surprisingly tougher on his body than playing center. Trout, though, said he’s open to playing all three spots and will likely begrudgingly have to DH at least once a week, if not more.

Jo Adell
Adell played in more games in center (89) than right (69) last year, but the metrics and eye test show that he's much better defensively in right than center. He hit 37 homers last year and was a Gold Glove finalist in right in ’24, so it would make sense to keep him in right field this season. But he’s expected to get some action in center field and said he’s ready to play there, if needed.

Josh Lowe
Lowe, acquired in a trade with the Rays in January, has mostly been a right fielder throughout his five-year career with the Rays, playing 317 games there compared to 29 in left and 25 in center. But Lowe appears more likely to move to left field while also seeing some time in center and right.

Jorge Soler
Soler suffered through an injury-plagued 2025 campaign and said he felt he wasn’t ready to play as much outfield as he did last year. So he made it his mission to run more this offseason, and he came into camp noticeably lighter. He played 40 games in right last year – and served as the DH for 37 games – and should get occasional starts in the outfield this year. But much of it depends on Trout’s health, just like last year.

Bryce Teodosio
Teodosio is an elite defender who produced 10 Outs Above Average last year while ranking in the 98th percentile in sprint speed, per Baseball Savant. But he also hit .203/.248/.304 in 50 games and must improve his offense to garner more playing time this season. He could make the club as a defensive specialist with spot starts in center, or could instead be sent to Triple-A to work on his offense.

Jose Siri
Siri gives the Angels another defensive-minded option in center, but he also struggled at the plate last year, batting .063 in 16 games with the Mets. But he hit 25 homers with a .761 OPS in 101 games with the Rays in '23, showing some proven success at the Major League level. He doesn’t have an opt-out in his contract, so he gives the club much-needed depth.

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Nelson Rada
Rada, at just 20 years old, is in big league camp for a second straight year as the Angels' No. 7 prospect and is considered the club’s center fielder of the future. Rada reached Triple-A for the first time last year and is considered on the cusp of getting to the Majors. He’s expected to open the year at Triple-A Salt Lake but could be a midseason callup if he continues to get on base and steal bags at a high clip.