The Angels announced Thursday that outfielder Steven Duggar and infielder Jose Rojas have been designated for assignment. Their spots on the 40-man roster will go to outfielder Ryan Aguilar and righty Zack Weiss, both of whom have had their contract selected from Triple-A Salt Lake.
Duggar, 28, was a sixth-rounder with the Giants back in 2015 and had some solid showings in San Francisco. He never established himself as a consistent presence in their outfield, however, in part due to injury troubles. Duggar suffered a torn labrum that required surgery in 2018, ending his rookie campaign. He avoided surgery on a second shoulder injury, sustained in August of 2019, but that issue still ended his season.
Duggar received minimal playing time in the shortened 2020 season but returned with a career-best .257/.330/.437 batting line in 297 trips to the plate in 2021. That success hasn’t carried over to the current campaign, however. He’s appeared with three different teams this season and batted .153/.225/.222 in 80 trips to the plate. Duggar, who’s capable of playing all three outfield spots, has already been traded once and claimed off waivers this season, so it’s possible there’s another club out there who’ll be interested in carrying him on the 40-man roster once he hits waivers. That outcome is a formality at this point; he’s ineligible to be traded and thus will be placed on outright or release waivers in the coming week.
Rojas, 29, has appeared in 83 games with the Halos over the past two seasons but managed just a .188/.245/.339 batting line in 241 plate appearances. He’s a .277/.344/.524 hitter in parts of four Triple-A campaigns, however, and has a minor league option remaining beyond this year, which enhances his appeal. Rojas also has notable amounts of experience in both outfield corners and at every infield slot other than shortstop, although he doesn’t have strong defensive grades at any of those spots in mostly limited MLB action.
Aguilar, 28 later this month, made his big league debut this year as a replacement player during the Angels’ series in Toronto. He’s in his first season with the Angels organization after spending his career in the Brewers system. Through 342 plate appearances of Double-A ball, he’s slashed .280/.427/.517 with 15 homers, 13 doubles, two triples and 11 steals.
Weiss, 30, is also in his first season with the Angels organization. The former Reds farmhand signed a minor league deal in the offseason and has turned in 50 innings of 4.50 ERA ball with a 29.7% strikeout rate against a 9.6% walk rate. Weiss received an extremely brief cup of coffee with the 2018 Reds but did not retire any of the four batters he faced (two walks, two home runs allowed). He’ll obviously hope for a shot at redemption four years after the fact.
Zack Weiss finally gets to redeem himself
So happy for him. I was waiting to see him come back up.
About time they get rid of Rojas.. but honestly, there isnt much of an improvement with who’s taking over.. do they want to see what’s there for next year, or whats the point?
Always looking to upgrade the back end of the 40-man roster. Lots of churn down there.
Angels are working on depth options until the minor league system starts churning out position prospects. May take another season or two.
It’s these high end player acquisitions that make the Angels what they are today.
Whenever I read articles like this regarding movement in the Angels farm system and 40 man roster, it occurs to me that all Halo player development personnel should look straight in the mirror and tell themselves that no human being has ever sucked more at an assigned profession ever in the history of mankind.
They were only two under .500 when they unjustifiably fired Joe Maddon and now they’re close to 20 under. Serves them right. Bum team
I’d like to see new ownership bring Maddon back in some capacity, even as manager. Based on the comments he made during a recent interview about how the front office is too involved in on-field decisions and he was just a liaison, I imaging his termination was more personal because he probably pushed back on Moreno. Moreno can’t sell this team soon enough.
I think he pushed back on Perry.
Arte chose Sciocia over Eppler in an “old school” vs “new age” turf war. Most recently, in firing Maddon, Arte chose Perry, and statistcal analysis, over Maddon’s preference to have more of a voice in lineup construction, etc.
Baseball Ops and the manager did not get along again and this time Arte sided with his Baseball Ops people. As evidenced by Perry cutting ties with Albert, Justin and Joe, it appears to me that Perry gets what he wants. And that is a good thing in that Arte is allowing Baseball Ops to run the baseball side of the organization; something Angels fans have long clamored for. That said, the new owner may choose to go in a different direction.
Amen on Arte selling the team asap. As for Joe, I’m a huge Maddon guy, but his comments lead me to think he was completely disconnected from the FO. I didn’t like the firing. But I also wonder aloud if the modern game has passed him by. I’m not saying that’s a good thing, but may be a reality.
There is some young prospects we can give a cup of coffee to at least? I understand the options part of putting a prospect for the first time on the 40 man….but c’mon. smh
There isn’t some young prospects we can give a cup of coffee to at least? I understand the options part of putting a prospect for the first time on the 40 man….but c’mon. smh
No. lol. The Angels have one of the worst farms of all time. That’s why they drafted all pitchers one year and then 75% SS in the next draft.
No pitcher in ANA compares to Kyle Harrison.
Farhan wins again
I hope this means Moniack is going to be activated. I’m sure that finger is better. Put him in LF and leave him there for the rest of 2022