The Angels announced they’ve designated right-hander César Valdez for assignment to clear space on the active roster for southpaw José Suarez, who has been recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake. Los Angeles also announced that outfielder Aaron Whitefield has passed through waivers unclaimed and been outrighted to Double-A Rocket City.
Valdez’s stint in the big leagues proved exceedingly brief. The team just selected his contract last night, adding some multi-inning relief depth before a game against the Rangers. The 37-year-old got into the game, facing five batters and allowing a pair of runs (one earned) on two hits in an inning. He’ll immediately lose his MLB spot as the Angels cycle through arms after using six pitchers yesterday. Valdez is out of minor league option years, so the only way to replace him on the big league club was to remove him from the 40-man roster.
Signed to a minor league contract over the winter, the former Oriole has spent the bulk of the season with the Bees. After working out of the bullpen in Baltimore, he’s stayed stretched out as a starter with Salt Lake. Valdez was off to a very nice run there to begin the year, tossing 35 2/3 innings over five appearances. He’s posted a 3.03 ERA despite working more than seven frames per start, racking up grounders on almost three-fifths of batted balls while only walking four of the 137 hitters he’s faced (a minuscule 2.9% rate).
The Angels will presumably try to run him back through waivers in hopes of keeping him at Salt Lake as a multi-inning depth option. It’s at least possible some other team will be persuaded enough by Valdez’s strong start in the minors to devote him a 40-man roster spot that wasn’t available over the winter. Having previously been outrighted in his career, Valdez would have the right to refuse an assignment in favor of free agency if he goes unclaimed.
That’s also true of Whitefield, although the Angels didn’t specify whether he’ll do so. The 25-year-old outfielder was selected to the majors ten days ago. He appeared in five games, his first MLB work since a trio of contests with the 2020 Twins. An excellent runner capable of playing all three outfield spots, Whitefield has been off to a great start with the Trash Pandas. Over 111 plate appearances, the Australia native has hit .301/.400/.538 with five homers, 13 stolen bases and a massive 14.4% walk percentage.
Teams seem determined to rotate guys on and off the 25-man roster. To the point where they make moves that seem unnecessary.
The doubleheader and a couple short outings messed things up along with roster reductions early in their road trip
We didn’t have to have a short outing yesterday. Maddon sacrificed two games by forcing a short outing after the Thor couldn’t make past the first.
He’s a terrible manager
You’re gonna blame Maddon for Thor’s bad outing?
Ya he shouldn’t have started Thor that one game, have Tepera hold that one game and he shouldn’t have had Iglesias try to close that one game. Huh, halo11troll? Stupid manager. So easy to play 2nd guesser when you’re the biggest crybaby on the internet.
Angels still in the playoffs. Maddon is still the manager. Halo11 still the biggest idiot on the internet.
LOL!
11, can you have a translator recap your post in English.
Fregosi- He doesn’t like anything the Angels do. He doesn’t like Ward in RF
Crazy!
losing must be so lovely for losers!
Where are the Angel Stadium news updates? Anyone diving in with a timeline article on stadium parking in LAA and not LAD Guggenheim prior to sale to Guggenheim group buying said trolley car Dodgers without parking area…
Didn’t the McCourts keep Dodger parking lot rights at first or indefinitely?
Tim, MLBTR writers: This is baseball talk and not just rumors, right?