NL West Squad Eying Former Angels Outfielder

Could the veteran stay out West while heading to the National League?

The Los Angeles Angels 2023 season was a strange one, to say the least. At one point, it looked like the team could finally end their long playoff drought, only for the team to go into a free fall for a few weeks. 

They then won some games right before the trade deadline and decided to try to push for the postseason despite the heavy odds against them. The front office added a few pieces they believed could help, only to see it completely backfire.

Every player that the Angels traded for was put on waivers shortly after the deadline was over, but one remained unclaimed. That was outfielder Randal Gruchuk, who stayed with the team for the remainder of the year. He struggled for most of the season, but his market seems to be heating up in free agency. 

According to MLB.com's Mark Feinsand, the Arizona Diamondbacks are looking into the possibility of signing Grichuk. They believe that he can pair alongside Joc Pederson to give them more flexibility hitting from the right side at the designated hitter spot.

The D-backs are looking to add a RH hitter to pair at DH with Joc Pederson, per sources. Randal Grichuk, Tommy Pham and Adam Duvall among the candidates. Grichuk had a .995 OPS vs LHP in 2023 compared to .787 for Pham and .756 for Duvall.

— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) February 9, 2024

Grichuk was brought over to the Angels after spending the first 64 games of his 2023 season with the Colorado Rockies. He then played in 54 games for the Halos, hitting just .216 with eight home runs and 17 runs batted in.

However, he did show solid numbers before joining the Angels. During his time with Colorado, he hit .308 with eight home runs and 27 runs batted in.

The veteran outfielder can still help a team compete if he were to go to the correct situation, and Arizona could be the place. They are a contender this coming season, and maybe joining a team in the mix could help jolt start his production once again.