A new Angel for the outfield leaves Suzuki with a puzzle to solve

ANAHEIM -- The Angels again added a potential bounce-back candidate with past success in the Majors with their acquisition of Josh Lowe in a trade with the Rays last week, but now they have to figure out how he factors into a crowded outfield situation.

Lowe, acquired for lefty reliever Brock Burke and Minor League pitcher Chris Clark as part of a three-team trade that also involved the Reds, had a breakout season in ’23 but struggled offensively last year. He’s also primarily played right field over the last three years but has made 25 career appearances in center and 29 in left.

It’s enough that general manager Perry Minasian said after the trade that Lowe could figure into the club’s plans in center but that it’ll be a decision for manager Kurt Suzuki. The Angels have several corner outfielders in Mike Trout, Jo Adell, Jorge Soler and Matthew Lugo, all of whom hit right-handed, so Lowe gives them some balance as a left-handed hitter.

Minasian also said he could see Adell and Trout see some time in center; Bryce Teodosio has proven to be an top-rate center fielder defensively (10 OAA) but hasn’t hit as a big leaguer (career .523 OPS). The left-handed-hitting Wade Meckler, acquired from the Giants on Jan. 7, has experience in center but hasn't played in the Majors since '23, when he hit .232 with a double in 20 games.

“We'll see how it goes,” Minasian said. “Obviously, we'll get our hands on [Lowe] and see him in Spring Training. And ‘Zuk’ will make those decisions when it comes to the lineup. [Lowe] played center field in the Minor Leagues coming through. He’s played a little bit of center field in the past. He's played right field. He's played left field. So we'll see where he's at and how he fits.”

Lowe, 27, still runs well, ranking in the 67th percentile in sprint speed per Statcast, but that was a drop-off from the 79th percentile in ’24 and the 85th percentile in ’23. He dealt with right oblique strains in ‘24 and ’25 that kept him out of action for more than a month.

Lowe also didn't grade out as a strong defender in right, as he ranked in the 16th percentile in Range (-4 OAA), but he does have a strong arm. The Angels are hoping that if he can put the oblique injuries behind him, he can deliver something closer to his ’23 season, when he hit .292/.335/.500 with 20 homers, 33 doubles and 83 RBIs in 135 games. Last year his slash line dipped to .220/.283/.366 with 11 homers and 40 RBIs in 108 games.

One of the biggest issues for Lowe over his four-year career has been hitting lefties, as he's a .181/.240/.264 batter in 288 career plate appearances against them. He’s hit a much more respectable .266/.322/.450 in 1,235 plate appearances against right-handers.

The Angels do lack left-handed bats in their lineup, so Lowe could be part a platoon with Teodosio, which could keep Trout and Adell as regulars in the lineup, with Trout sharing time at designated hitter with Soler. But Minasian wouldn’t rule out Lowe getting a chance against lefties.

“When evaluating the player, there were some things that stood out,” Minasian said. “He hasn't been great against left-handed pitching. He hasn't had a ton of opportunities either. So again, that'll be a question for the staff and ‘Zuk’ when we get our hands on him. But with talented players, sometimes it just takes experience and playing time to learn to defend yourself against the same side.”

Despite having seven outfielders on the 40-man roster, Minasian would be open to adding to that group, although it isn’t a high priority. The Angels are still targeting starting pitching, an infielder and possibly relief help this offseason, with three weeks until pitchers and catchers report on Feb. 10.

“We like where we're at currently with the addition we just made, but we're always looking for upgrades,” Minasian said. “So I would never rule anything out, but with the addition of Josh, and Teo and Jo and Mike and Jorge, we’ve got some guys that have some experience and who've done some things and can play in different spots. So again, we'll see where everybody's at, how it goes, what's available. You never know what pops up. Things evolve at different times over the course of the offseason.”