Oswaldo Arcia a possible fit for the Angels

Let's get this out of the way from the start: I don't want the Twins to trade Oswaldo Arcia. Sure, the defense is pretty bad but he also hit 34 home runs through his age-23 season and can hit baseballs further than any Twins outfielder I've seen since...actually, I take that back. Oswaldo Arcia hits baseballs further than any Twins outfielder I've ever seen.

Here's a refresher, wherein Oswaldo smashes the longest home run by a Twins player in 2014. Be sure you blow this up to full screen, because otherwise you might miss exactly how far this one went.

Granted, home runs aren't the alpha and omega of any player, but that Minnesota offense needs power pretty desperately. Kennys Vargas is in Double-A, Miguel Sano is dealing with a foot issue for (hopefully nothing more than) a few days, and the club's third-highest slugging percentage belongs to Torii Hunter at .437. Their .397 team slugging is ninth in the American League. Lest we forget, in addition to Arcia's track record at the Major League level he's also a career .309/.370/.538 hitter in the minor leagues...who just happens to be on a hot streak in Triple-A, where he's hit .322/.403/.780 with eight home runs in the month of July.

All of which is just a long way of saying: I don't want the Twins to trade Oswaldo Arcia. This club needs power, and he not only has the tool but he's demonstrated game power on par with the best young sluggers in franchise history.

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, however, are looking for a bat. They - ideally - are looking for a left-handed outfielder to play left field who can be controlled past 2015. From Alden Gonzalez at MLB.com:

The Angels would prefer a left-handed hitter who can play left field, but are open to right-handed options at other positions as well. More important to the Angels is that the player be controllable past this season

• Left Handed: Check
• Left Field: Check(ish)
• Team Controlled: Check

I don't think Arcia is the ideal choice for anyone in this scenario. Los Angeles has been tied to Jay Bruce on numerous occasions and we know that the Reds have made him available; he's under contract through next year with a team-friendly option for 2017. Milwaukee's Gerardo Parra has also had a surprisingly good season, although he's a free agent at the end of the year.

The fact that both players have had nice years in the Majors, as opposed to Arcia who is stashed in Triple-A, should lead the Angels away from the Twins. But if the Angels find Bruce to be too expensive, then youth and potential could sway them to explore an alternative that will help them build for the future. Under team control through 2020, there's little doubt that Minnesota's young Venezuelan could help them do just that.