Rumor grade: Angels interested in adding Zack Cozart at 3rd base

The Angels already acquired Shohei Ohtani and traded for Ian Kinsler thus far this offseason, so why stop now? They’re on a roll!

The latest rumor floating around centers on Zack Cozart, most recently with Cincinnati, joining the rest of this new and improved Angels team in Anaheim.

The rumor

According to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, the Angels are interested in adding former Reds shortstop Cozart at third base, but he is also talking with other teams.

Why it makes sense for the Angels

It would be another upgrade to their infield after their Kinsler move, even if it requires some finagling with who plays where full time. Ideally, they could move Luis Valbuena to first base and push C.J. Cron to DH more often, which would give Cozart consistent playing time at third. Nobody would cry if Albert Pujols has fewer plate appearances at this point.

Cozart hit .297/.385/.548 last season, significantly higher than any of his previous major league seasons in which he played more than 11 games and more than 40 points above his career average, and had an OPS of .933.

Cozart’s bWAR clocked in at 4.9, which was also a career high, and he was 70th in the league in fielding percentage and 19th in innings played for 2017. Valbuena had a .947 fielding percentage at third base (but a 1.000 fielding percentage during his 48 games at first) while Cozart was in line with league average at .975 while at short.

Even better, the Reds didn’t extend a qualifying offer to him, so the Angels wouldn’t have to give up any draft picks if they signed him. They could get a nice little infield by just paying up.

Why it makes sense for Cozart

For one, the Angels are looking like a better and better team every day. He would get to own the hot corner and also play in Los Angeles (disclaimer: The Angels do not play in Los Angeles but they should definitely tell him they do, as I assume is common practice when pitching free agents) on a team that includes Mike Trout and Ohtani. Even if they only had one of those players, it would be an attractive scenario.

The Reds didn’t extend a QO to Cozart, but it’s also possible that he could go back to Cincinnati and remain at shortstop (they are probably one of the other teams he is talking to right now) on a multiyear deal as has been rumored since the end of the season.

However Cozart could also get that multiyear payday he’s looking for on the West Coast, as the Angels have only $122 million in salary commitments for 2018 thus far and are only on the hook for Kinsler’s $11 million through next year. He could get a four-year, $80 million deal or thereabouts to take him to his age-36 season and wrap up his career with a nice payday.

Rumor grade

B+. This is a fit both ways, so it will come down to which other teams Cozart is talking with right now and whether those talks progress further. The Angels are offering a winning situation — at least more than they did in 2017 — next year, and based on the rest of the shortstop market, he would probably be switching positions anyway. This opportunity makes sense for Cozart to grasp onto, and the Angels could certainly use his defense and his bat.