The Angels have announced that they’ve released Raul Ibanez. Ibanez collected 190 plate appearances with the Angels this season and hit .157/.258/.265. The Angels have endured criticism recently for playing Ibanez at designated hitter ahead of the much younger C.J. Cron.
The Angels signed Ibanez to a big-league deal in December, paying him $2.75MM plus bonuses based on playing time. Ibanez was effective offensively for the Mariners last season, hitting .242/.306/.487 with 29 homers in 596 plate appearances, but he never got untracked with the Angels, and he has been a consistently weak defender and baserunner for years, so he doesn’t add value if he’s not hitting. Ibanez, 42, has played in parts of 19 seasons with the Mariners, Royals, Phillies, Yankees and Angels.
