Raul Ibanez is 42 years old and hitting .153, but Angels manager Mike Scioscia is sticking with him

Angels manager Mike Scioscia is taking a lot of heat locally for continuing to play struggling 42-year-old Raul Ibanez, especially after the team called up first base prospect C.J. Cron to provide an alternative at designated hitter.

Ibanez is hitting .153 with three homers and a .514 OPS in 56 games. By comparison, Cron is hitting .275 with three homers and a .763 OPS in 33 games since being called up from Triple-A last month. And yet Ibanez has started three straight games over Cron, with Scioscia explaining to Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times:

There’s no doubt he’s making some strides in the batter’s box, and you’re seeing better swings. The bottom line is production. Nobody understands that better than Raul. He knows he needs to have better at-bats. Nobody is working harder than Raul, and we’re confident he’s going to contribute for us.

It’d be one thing to show patience in a star player going through a prolonged slump, but when a 42-year-old hits .153 in 56 games and wasn’t all that good to begin with in recent years ... well, it would seem like an obvious opportunity to turn the page and give Cron an extended chance instead. Ibanez hasn’t topped an .800 OPS since 2009 and hasn’t topped a .310 on-base percentage since 2010. Scioscia is waiting around for a bat that’s nothing special anyway.

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