Christian

Moore

The move paves a relatively unobstructed path for veteran Adam Frazier to open the year as the Angels’ starting second baseman. Technically, Oswald Peraza, Nick Madrigal and Vaughn Grissom remain in the mix but they’ve struggled this spring and make more sense in bench roles. Los Angeles took Moore with the eighth-overall pick back in 2024, one spot before Pittsburgh grabbed baseball’s current top prospect Konnor Griffin. The 23-year-old second baseman has hit just .198/.284/.370 with seven homers in 53 games at the highest level and has struggled to emerge as an everyday option.

Moore struck out in two of his three at-bats today, but the homer was an impressive 390-foot shot to left center on a sinker running down and in on him. The Angels have Moore and Vaughn Grissom battling for the second base job in camp, with Adam Frazier, Nick Madrigal and Kyren Paris available as fallbacks. Grissom figures to make the team in some role, since he’s out of options, while the 23-year-old Moore figures to be sent down to Triple-A if he’s beaten out for the job.

This deal was reported last week and is now official after Moncada passed a physical. The 30-year-old played in 84 games for the Angels last season, hitting .234/.336/.448 in 289 plate appearances. He will head into spring training as the favorite to start at third base, with Christian Moore battling Vaughn Grissom and Oswald Peraza for the second base job.

While his defense has declined after all of his injuries, Moncada showed a decent enough bat in 84 games for the Angels last season, hitting .234/.336/.448 in 289 plate appearances. Bringing him back might block Christian Moore in Anaheim, but it’s not like the Angels figure to have Moncada, Mike Trout, Jorge Soler and the rest of the gang healthy all at once very often.

The Red Sox thought Grissom could be their long-term second baseman when they acquired him from the Braves for Chris Sale prior to the 2024 campaign, but he was often hurt and hit just .190 in 31 major league games during his two-year stint with the club. He’ll get a fresh start with the Angels, who have openings at second base and third base at the moment. If he makes the team, it could be at second, with top prospect Christian Moore moving to third or heading to Triple-A. If not, he’ll likely go on waivers, since he’s out of options.

Fellow youngsters Kyren Paris and Denzer Guzman are also working out in preparation of playing some third base. Moore, the eighth overall pick in the 2024 draft, has thus far only played second base as a pro. He isn’t guaranteed to open 2026 in the majors, but he did hit the ball harder as a rookie than his .198/.284/.370 line suggests.

Moore’s home run was his seventh of the year. The 22-year-old second baseman hit a two-run shot off Bradley Blalock in the second inning. Moore’s home run was his third in his last five games. He’s hitting .203 with a .702 OPS and 16 RBI this season.

Moore finally got the Angels on the board in the fifth inning with a 420-foot (106.1 mph EV) solo shot off of George Kirby, but all that did was pull the Angels to within 10 runs at 11-1. It was also Moore’s only hit in four trips to the plate in the ballgame. For the season, the 22-year-old infielder is slashing a disappointing .192/.285/.350 with five homers, 13 RBI and a 44/15 K/BB ratio over 138 plate appearances with the Halos.

Moore’s transition to the big leagues hasn’t gone as smoothly as he would’ve hoped, slashing a meager .195/.287/.336 with four home runs, 12 RBI and a 41/14 K/BB ratio in his first 130 plate appearances with the Angels. He should see ample playing time down the stretch as the Angels want to find out what they have in the 22-year-old infielder.

Moore has had a difficult time in his first exposure to big league pitching, slashing a woeful .195/.287/.336 with four homers, 12 RBI and a 41/14 K/BB ratio over 130 plate appearances. He’ll return to an everyday role at the Triple-A level for the time being.