The Angels have signed right-hander Cesar Valdez to a minor league deal, ESPN’s Enrique Rojas reports (Twitter link). Valdez receives an invitation to the Angels’ big league Spring Training camp, and he will receive a guaranteed $950K if he makes the active roster.
The veteran righty is back in Anaheim after also signing a minors deal with the Halos last offseason. Valdez only made a single appearance at the MLB level, and was then designated for assignment and subsequently outrighted off the 40-man roster. Pitching much of the season at Triple-A Salt Lake, Valdez had a 3.94 ERA, 21% strikeout rate, and a very strong 3.8% walk rate over 146 1/3 innings, all as a starter.
Though Valdez just got onto that one game with the Angels, it was enough to make it five career MLB seasons for the 37-year-old. He made his debut way back in 2010 with 20 innings for the Diamondbacks, next surfaced in the majors in 2017 with the A’s and Blue Jays, and then didn’t appear in the big leagues again until working out of the Orioles’ bullpen in 2020.
Valdez’s odd career arc (that also includes stops in the Mexican League and the Chinese Professional Baseball League) has seen him move back and forth several times between starter and relief roles, but it would appear he’ll head to the Angels’ camp as rotation depth. Never much of a strikeout pitcher throughout his career, Valdez has relied on grounders to generate outs, and he has a 49.1% groundball rate over his 112 career innings at the Major League level.
Sign him up! Good thing we got him before anyone else.
It’s for the minor league AAA farm system pitching depth.
I almost fell for the $950,000,000 thing. Geeze.
Don’t worry about the money. We need quality RP help.
Angels appear to be stocking up depth on relievers at the moment. Hopefully they don’t plan to throw bodies at the RP position at the major league level. I would still like them to add a Chaffin or Ottavino. It won’t be long before the Angels no longer have to cobble together a relief staff via free agency as they will have their own in house options.
Guaranteed $950MM if he makes the team? That’s a steal for Cesar Valdez!
Here’s a quick Spanish tip for ya Mark, “Mil” in Spanish means a thousand
Sheesh Fletch I don’t even recall this guy..Should I be excited???
Nah. He’s 38 next year and has a pitch-to-contact approach. The AA pen arms + Davis Daniel will probably get a shot before him.
Good season in AAA last year though.
I’m guilty to Trumbo. I didn’t realize either that he pitched for us last year.
He was decent in AAA but he is “depth”. Perry calls it.
Bro boutta be rich
Bro boutta be rich.
Wow. He can buy the team if he makes it.
If he can pull down another mil he can get his own Chick Fil A franchise going.
And the Rangers payed degrom $200 million.
Valdez is halfway to buying the team from Arte for simply making it out of camp. Steal of the millennium for this dude.
He’ll be lighting up radar guns with his 78 mph Fastball.
This signing is all about the coffee.
MIEIDA PAI LICEY
No one’s gonna buy the team if it’s got a billion dollar reliever on it, Arte.
But they’ll have 950MM coming off the books next offseason. That will free up a lot of money.
they’ll have 950MM coming off the books next offseason. With that they may be able to resign Ohtani.
A pitcher who can’t break 80?
The biggest hole on this team is their pen. At least these are not major league contracts, or worse yet, those wink, wink, nod, nod, minor league contracts where they are pretty much guaranteed to make the team. i.e. Guerra.
Sounds realer than the Real Deal Holy field dude’s probly 43 in real life…
I was hoping they would have signed Chris Martin but not at that price.
You and me both. Martin would have been a nice add.
Cesar’s changeup can be absolutely devastating when it’s working for him but $950 million is probably a slight overpay.
You had me at slight.
$950MM? I’d do it for half of that!
Lol, with the $950m comments. It is fun to play with. If only we had it.
Valdez will sign an extension at the break. 3 years 60 mil.
As some of you may have suspected, Valdez’s deal is for $950K, not $950MM. The typo has been corrected!
Thank you Mark, but it was more fun with 950m.
Morning Mark. More editing needed in your last paragraph as well.
At his age and experience level, he’s probably great to have around the AA guys as they move up the ladder.
Are u talking about our championship team, the Trash Pandas? Because most Don’t realize we got a chip last year.
Yes. I followed tyat team pretty closely. Interviewed a couple players and the manager.
Those guys will be moving up this year. I anticipate a couple bullpen guys in MLB this year.
Hope your right, I still would like to see at least 1 high leverage RP added this off-season.
I’m even ok bringing back Lorenzen on the cheap for SP#6.
Then have our younger SP’s for depth.
Agreed all the way around.
Davidson needs to be upgraded.
Bullpen needs help.
Earthshattering.