The Angels have signed right-hander Jose Cisnero to a one-year deal, per a club announcement. To make room for Cisnero on the 40-man roster, the club has designated Livan Soto for assignment. MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger reports that the deal guarantees the veteran righty $1.75MM.
Cisnero, 35 in April, made his big league debut with the Astros back in 2013. Over two seasons in Houston, the righty struggled to a 4.66 ERA across 48 1/3 innings of work before elbow issues brought his 2014 campaign (and his Astros tenure) to an end. After a brief 5 1/3 inning stay in the Reds’ minor league system, Cisnero stepped away from affiliated ball for several years, pitching in independent leagues across North and South America until he signed on with the Tigers during the 2018-19 offseason.
Upon joining Detroit’s roster in June on 2019, Cisnero found his home for the next half decade. In 35 1/3 innings of work during his return to the majors that year, the right-hander posted a solid 4.33 ERA (111 ERA+) with a 4.66 FIP. Those respectable numbers earned Cisnero a shot at a larger role headed into the 2020 season, and he made the most of it during the shortened campaign as he posted a sterling 3.03 ERA and 2.65 FIP in 29 appearances. The righty continued to put up strong numbers while covering the middle innings for the Tigers over the next couple of years, and entered the 2023 season with a 3.26 ERA and 3.89 FIP across 151 2/3 innings of work during his time in Detroit.
Unfortunately, things took a turn for the worse last season. The veteran righty saw his ERA balloon to 5.31 despite posting a 26.2% strikeout rate and a 9.4% walk rate, both of which were career bests outside of the shortened 2020 campaign. Some of that drop in quality of performance can be explained by Cisnero’s inflated .338 BABIP and a 68.4% strand rate that came in somewhat below his usual norms. With that being said, the biggest red flag in Cisnero’s profile last year was clearly his issues with the long ball. Cisnero allowed ten homers in his 59 1/3 innings of work last year as a whopping 15.6% of his fly balls left the yard for home runs.
Despite those blemishes, taking a flier on Cisnero is a sensible move for the Angels. At a guarantee of just $1.75MM, Cisnero joins the likes of Adam Cimber and Luis Garcia as veterans looking to rebound after a difficult 2023 season who can cover the middle innings for a bullpen that has already added the likes of Robert Stephenson and Matt Moore to handle late-inning duties. On the other hand, the addition of Cisnero sees the Halos double down on their strategy of focusing their offseason additions primarily on the club’s bullpen. While the club’s relief corps posted a lackluster 4.88 ERA last season, it’s fair to wonder why the club has yet to make significant moves targeted at improving the club’s lineup and rotation mix following the departure of two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani, instead making complementary additions in those areas such as Aaron Hicks and Zach Plesac.
The addition of Cisnero may spell the end of Soto’s time in the Angels organization. The 23-year-old infielder made his MLB debut with the club back in 2022 and impressed over the course of a brief, 18-game cup of coffee. In 59 plate appearances that year, Soto slashed a strong .400/.414/.582 with seven extra base hits in just 55 at-bats. Unfortunately, Soto’s strong performance in his first taste of the big leagues didn’t carry over to the 2023 season. The youngster hit a mediocre .237/.342/.358 in 110 games split between the Double- and Triple-A levels last year, and his four games in the majors last year saw him go just two-for-nine with zero extra base hits, though he continued to flash solid on-base ability by drawing three walks during that time. Going forward, the Angels will have seven days to trade Soto or attempt to pass him through waivers. If Soto clears waivers, the Angels will have the opportunity to retain him as non-roster depth headed into the 2024 campaign.
What the f*#%
Perry’s like “watch me amazingly assemble the most replacement level bullpen to ever be assembled!!!” And that will be the crux of the Angels offseason!! Mesmerized by such competence yet???!!!
Three good bullpen pieces. It’s better than it has been, but three years too late.
Crap on sale is still crap.
Probably what we needed ss depth, Soto is not great but who do they have after neto. rengifo isn’t the answer. Hopefully perry signs more first baseman lol. He should’ve signed another aaaa reliever instead to a minor league deal.
Instead of DFAing Soto, they should have packaged him with another prospect and gotten something useful. Maybe with Adell, if they are planning to trade him. I was somewhat impressed with Soto and I believe with a bit more seasoning, at worst, he will be a useful Majors utility guy. Some GM will claim Soto. Halos are Dumb. Just plain Dumb.
I’ve got 4 solid RP guys. I know some lost faith in Estevez down the stretch or 2nd half, but you don’t LUCK into 23 saves in a row. They’ll keep him fresher this year, with more options in the backend.
I don’t have faith in Estevez because he doesn’t have command and doesn’t keep the ball of the ground.
Too many base runners is a dangerous thing for a fly ball pitcher. It will bite you in the butt.
I like Garcia better. At least he doesn’t prevent hard contact, but he keeps the ball on the ground. It’s harder for opponents to string together hits, than walk and slug. M
Still surprised they got another arm on a mlb contract. It was already full I’m guessing this bumps out Joyce. Estevez will be fine he was the only reliable option after moore. I agree with 4 solid guys, with some potential bounce back candidates to round it out.
@halo11 even if estevez regresses he’s still a solid 4, and Stephenson/soriano can step in to close. Still have plenty of options, and they got rid of loup so it’s a win.
When do you use Estevez? If he can’t throw strikes and allows a lot of fly balls, when can you bring him in?
Unless that changes, there is no way to prevent implosions. He’ll have some success, and he’ll also implode. Kinda like last year.
@halo he was still one of the bright spots on a crappy bullpen, and I’m sure they brought Stephenson in to be the closer of the future since he’s a free agent if he comes in the 6/7 it should be fine. It’s still his job to lose.
Was he? Doesn’t really matter. A pitcher can’t have sustained success If he allows hard contact, walks people and has a ground ball rate of a 35%.. Which is why he didn’t have sustained success.
And I’m not a big believer predicting the tools of a 31 year old pitcher will improve.
I’m a much bigger believer in a 24 year old getting better. Bachman, Adell, or 23 year old, Joyce, than a 31 year old.
Looks like another losing season maybe 2025 will be a better year for the Angels maybe Arte Moreno will sell the Angels by then our owner is the invisible man, laughing stock of baseball
Homer. I think 2024 is more about finding out what the Angels have. Does Schanuel have any extra base power. Can Zeto be an above average shortstop. Can Trout stay healthy playing 40 games at DH, can Rendon play a season, can O’Hoppe, Ward play. Do the Angels need to give up on Adell/Moniak?
What about their starters? Who needs to go?
If most of these are answered positively, then the Angels can add the necessary pieces in 2025, and can be fun. If few are answered positively, then the Angels are in real trouble.
@halo exactly it’s make or break. I personally think they will be in the running for a playoff push probably 6 games out for the final wildcard spot come deadline and trade the expiring contracts to recoup some of the prospects they lost last year, and like you said they need to get rid of some of the redundant players in the off-season after this year to start a rebuild.
Halo11Fan
Everything you say is valid about our young players repeat last year‘s performance Arte Moreno Heart isn’t in winning the franchise, minor league system is at the bottom Moreno hesitating to invest in the minor-league system no player development no hiring the best minor-league instructors not investing in scouting or highing the best scouts that’s why the Dodgers develop so many young players investing in player development, good scouting system, ok now at this year trading deadline. The angels should’ve been sellers trading Ohtani accumulating prospects.but what the hell instead, their buyers trading two bright prospects, that’s Arte Moreno calling the shots another bonehead decision by the way, Moreno had no plans on signing Shohei Ohtani as you can tell I’m not a big fan of Arte Moreno
Who is a big fan of Moreno? Your analysis makes sense. Some others don’t.
Moreno wanted Ohtani to stay. That may have gone against Minasian wishes. We just don’t know.
Thank you Jedi Mark Cuban may the force be with you saving us from the evil Moreno Empire the true identity of dark Vader
Extra extra read all about it wanted a young new owner, who’s single and free, whodoesn’t squeak when he walks but we will accept a young trainee I heard it in the want ad’s Yes Oooh Oooh Oooh the Angels are for sale
Clearly hoping for a bounce-back, maybe flip him at the deadline if he does?
Bounce back to what? His 2022 was pure luck with a bb/9 just under 7. They are banking on him returning to when he was 32 yrs old and just “okay” when he was a middle reliever on a dog dump team?
Angels are just doing the spaghetti against the wall bullpen they always run out.
Bounce back to baseball-reference.com/players/c/cisnejo01.shtml?u…
So, bounce back to when he was just “okay”.
Thanks for confirming. Looking forward to another angels bullpen.
3.26 ERA is a far bit better than “okay”. Thanks for confirming your complete lack of understanding of baseball.
No problem, buddy. It’s not like his underlying stats haven’t been trending poorly, right? Baseball savant tells me another story counter to yours.
However, I will choose to believe you. Let’s reconvene in September and compare notes on this signing.
Loser gives the blumpkin.
Didn’t happen.
baseballsavant.mlb.com/savant-player/jose-cisnero-…
He added a cutter and threw his changeup more in 2023 and the two pitches were not far enough apart in velocity and when he threw one after the other the changeup got crushed. THAT was the issue in 2023. Outside of that there IS no downward trend.
I still think it was a move that was not needed, but it doesn’t change the fact that a bounceback from him would be to a pretty good pitcher. Not putting much faith in Angels ability to draw that out of him or even see that it was the addition of the 88 mph cutter that was the issue.
It seems we are both looking at aspects that support our perspective. I’m seeing a pitcher that is getting hit harder as he gets older.
I don’t see how a player can improve velocity disparity in his pitches as he gets older unless the velocity goes down in general which would lead to more hard hits.
Agree to disagree? I dunno. I just don’t think there’s a recapturing for a player that never established something to capture. There are issues every year good and bad
Except he hasn’t gotten hit harder. Last season he got hit harder on changeups. A pitch he threw more of in 2023 than any other season. Even then it was only when the changeup followed the cutter. The cutter was a pitch he didn’t throw before 2023. His FB still sits 96.
If you add a pitch and it’s not working, you’d go back to what works, right?
WTF? Nobody has him as there closer or even backend guy. A bounce back year and he fits solidly for any team in the middle innings. Jeez!
Tigers could never flip him, but GL to the Angels doing it, I guess.
Not crazy about this move and DFA’ing Livan Soto.
Minasian should’ve offered a minor league deal and if he rejected it, then no loss.
I’ve sort of figured out the strategies of MLB teams by now. Some teams rebuild. Some teams go for it all. The Rays are like stock traders. Seattle likes playing musical chairs. Yanks like ‘em old and injured, Etc.
But the Angels….I never understand what they are doing.
Easy, they are “doin’ stuff”.
It’s sort of that feeling of when you meant to shop for your sweetie for Valentine’s Day 2 months ago but now it’s the day before and you’re in Walgreens trying to make it work.
Oddly resonant.
That was a really good analogy lol.
What do u mean, it was a terrible analogy. It’s not a day before the season starts, and the whole market was slow this year. Each is there own thou.
But all the pretty flowers are gone
On top of it, no man with a pair of balls, shops 2 months early for Valentine’s. Haha! You’re still X-mas shopping then.
If you really want to make it work you should be at Zales Jewlers the moment they open the doors.
Perfect analysis!
Pay attention to the high amount of promising young talent they called up in 2023 that still managed to hit 231 HR despite Trout and Rendon missing significant time again. They had all pitching draft just a few years ago. Their young rotation had some growing pains in 2023, but much of that could’ve been offset by making these bullpen moves a year ago. Basically, the Angels went back to building from their youth, they’re basically doing what the Rangers did: locking down enough veteran talent while their youth is still establishing themselves on the off chance they might contend. Pretty much every team in MLB did this 30 years ago before salaries went through the roof and the Astros cursed the game with tanking.
Outside of Silseth, the 2021 all pitching draft has largely been a bust, and Angels fans shouldnt expect much more yield from it. Minasian traded away Bush, Marceaux and Albright for two month rentals at least year’s deadline. Bachman has become the mess of injuries that many scouts predicted he would be, given his height, violent delivery and velocity. And guys like Murphy and Kerry have stalled out in the upper minors.
The Angels have a consensus bottom three farm, and the guys who have seen modest success are first rounders who have been rushed to the show. Comparing their system to the Rangers isn’t realistic.
Their all pitching draft was a disaster. That said, I’m not sure what they expect the Angels to do.
Perry wasted three years and this year there is nothing he can do. And whatever he does do turns out terrible.
It was obvious from the beginning, Adding Claudio, Guerra Quintana, and drafting Bachman with the highest pick this century showed me exactly who he was, and I took a lot of heat in pointing it out.
God bless America. The guy had a 5.31 ERA last year and got a major league deal.
This deal was right when u look at his last 3 year performance. He’s your typical average fickle RP.
Looks like Mr. Cisnero is the final Angels Pen piece. Meh, the pens a lot better thou.
“a lot better”?
With exception to Stephenson and Moore, the rest of the new relievers are pedestrian. Remember a few years ago when they revamped their pen with Loup, Tepera, and Bradley and everyone was excited about the pen being a lot better?
I’d prefer sticking with in-house options like Bachman, Joyce, Soriano, Wantz over the likes of Cisnero, Garcia, and Cimber who are past their prime and taking up spots on the 40-man roster and losing a prospect like Livan Soto.
You’re going to need them all. Bachman was a high first round draft choice that they selected to.start, not be a 6th inning reliever. He will be stretched out at triple-A.. Joyce and Soriano will also be in this pen to start the season. But if they really want to add strength they should have signed Maton or Brasier instead of this guy, or traded for a true closer. Am I supposed to be excited to see this guy pitch?
U need these guys, the pen is a lot deeper, injuries happen. But anyway, losing Soto is nothing, nobody will even probably claim him thru waivers.
The clock is ticking… I don’t see the Halos in on Snell, Montgomery, Belly or any impact players. Even Kike is spurning a sure deal with Anaheim (per report) hoping Dodgers come calling. Wonder if Arte has the guts to dump Rendon?
I enjoyed this guy’s time in Detroit….he was real steady for a couple years….he got a little inconsistent in’23………Best of Luck to him for a bounceback year!
Hope he bounces back too. He was solid in Detroit for the most part.
Angels will be battling the A’s for last place. Real chance the A’s are better.
They can’t do anything about replacing Ohtani’s production except plan for a return to form from Trout and Rendon. The DH spot makes it possible to get guys out of the field which is what most teams prefer to do with the DH spot. Having Pujols and Ohtani made it harder to keep banged up guys in the lineup
Another clown to add to the pen.
I mean, the Tigers wanted to move him so bad at the deadline last year. No one wanted him. $1.75 million? Wow. Simply wow.
I will say, he could bring the heat sometimes, but…whoa, baby….they left the yard fast too.
The Angels’ GM isn’t very bright.
He doesn’t do much.
TV contract is over after 2024. The stadium lease is over after 2029. A new owner may end this craziness.
One thing is clear, Minasian was not the brains of the Braves.
I had a private conversation with a very well known major league scout for the Dodgers. He told me he had zero confidence that minasian knew how to put a team together. He thought the way he handled Pujols was horrendous and stupid. Obviously the Dodgers and Cardinals got production out of him while the Angels paid his salary. And for Walsh who did nothing and has since been released? The scout was not impressed to say the least.
Insanely stupid how he handled Pujols. Walsh couldn’t hit lefties, it had platoon written all over it.
He has not improved this team. He hasn’t rebuilt the farm. He hasn’t added quality major league players.
I give him an “F”. And if the Angels do well this year, which is unlikely, it won’t be because the players he added.
Pujols was fat and out of shape with the Angels. Every time he went up to bat, all he wanted to do is hit a Homerun. If he had a man on first. He would automatically hit into a double play. Pujols was just plain selfish, and living off his past glory. His best season with the Angels would still not be better than his worst season with St Luis prior to signing with the Angels. The best thing that he did for the Angels is share his knowledge with Trout, and other players. He was so broken down that he even hogged the DH spot to below Mendoza Line.
When he signed with the Dodgers, he all of a sudden wanted to be a team player. He actually got back into shape. With the Angels he looked like a fat couch potato, with his belly hanging over his belt!
Halo11- you said ” give him an “F”. And if the Angels do well this year, which is unlikely, it won’t be because the players he added” So are you saying players he added this offseason or as GM, because a big chunk of this roster has his fingerprints on it. Not much pitching maybe 3 pitchers to carry the team.
I think he has done well drafting and developing. When he got here, There was no depth beyond the stars. So many negative WAR players. Now they have players that at lest have talent. In such a short time He has drafted and promoted and have already had some success at the Major League level. The minor leagues would have been rated much higher , but he has promoted so fast they are not prospects. He has traded away a number of prospects. I think is why MLB.com last year had them at the bottom, yet one of the most underrated systems. I think Bachman is not a wasted pick. I think he looks like he could be good . I like Silseth, Neto,Schanuel and the pickup of O’Hoppe , Who improved in the Angels system by the way. They have a lot of young talent. That doesn’t happen by luck.
When is last time the Angels have had so much success with young players. How long has it been since they have had this much young Starting pitching depth?
Put Neto and Schanuel back in the minors and it’s still a bad system.
That’s in spite of very good drafting position, including the best pick this century in Bachman.
It can take years for a system to take effect. Minasian has finally gotten the coach he wanted in Washington and it could pay dividends by having a philosophy that translates from the Front office to the field. This current team has players on the team that were drafted by four different GM’s. Trout was drafted by Stoneman. Since Stoneman, the Angels have has Di-Poto, Eppler, and now Minasian. How’s that going to affect a team philosophy. Everybody nowadays wants quick results. Sometimes a little patience goes a long way!
Minasian wanted Showalter.
No excuses for the moves he’s made. None. Pathetic moves.
Halo11Fan,
Why did they go with Washington?
What type of team would they have built with Showalter?
What moves should they have done?
Going forward if you were the GM, what would you do?
I’m just asking because you are very passionate about the team and I want to understand your frustration. (I don’t know)
I don’t know. I’m not a GM. I don’t have to be an car mechanic to know a car is broken.
But when this team was a bullpen away from being competative, his moves were horrible. That has been my passion for years. And his moves have been horrible. But honestly, Stevenson is great. But his hope and pray strategy up to now has been a horrendous failure.
Had he done nothing, Fletcher would still be with this team at a reasonable salary. And of course the moves he’s made have been horrible.
And Bachman…. Pure stupidity. Go read the comments when Bachman was signed.
Halo11- I ‘m not saying the Angels would have a great farm, but if you put Neto, Bachmen,Schanuel,and the players traded away for temporary MLB talent the last couple of years, Edgar Quero, Ky Bush and others. They would be clearly better than they have the the last few years
Bachman is in the farm, no one has him as much of a prospect.
Schanuel ranks, he’s 95th.
Fangraphs had Neto as prospect 61 in 2023.
If they were still in the minors, three years building, few promotions, with the highest draft picks this century, I’d call that a total failure.
Neto and Schanuel are high floor low ceiling players. You don’t win with them, you don’t lose with them.
As far as who he traded, why didn’t he get anyone when he was a seller in 2021 and 2022. Who’d he get?
Whoa! Combine this with the signing of Arson Hicks and you got a stew goin’
More gas for the dumpster fire.
For 1.75, why not? If he works out, great. If he doesn’t, oh well. It looks like he is good every other year, and he wasn’t good last year. So fingers crossed I guess.
Soto wasn’t worth the roster spot, as clearly nobody would take him in a trade if he ended up being DFAd. Wish him the best though.
Solid arm. He’s not throwing fluff up there.
He performed best in low leverage spots, but rose to a few occasions. It requires no stretch to picture him doing well in Anaheim.
He has a fastball which he can’t command, can’t keep on the ground, can’t get batters to swing and miss and can’t freeze hitters with it.
I also think Soto can be an MLB utility guy. Neto and Paris have obviously surpassed him, though.
I have no idea why Perry thinks this is the arm we need,
Decent pick up for the price and a bounce back candidate..
Unusually high (unsustainable?) HR/FB% and unusually low strand rate suggests there is still something worth looking at. Who knows.
Steamer projects a 4.04 ERA which, while not dominant, can be useful for a middle innings reliever.
The back end of the Halos bullpen is pretty well spoken for, so collecting some veterans for middle relief, see who might get hot, and sorting them out on the fly isn’t the worst idea.
Minasian does what Moreno tells him to do.
I predict the team will be sold before opening day.
Don’t give me hope.
Right. Moreno told Minasian to get Claudio, Guerra and Quintana…and also told him to cut Pujols.
And of course draft Bachman and draft pretty much waste 2021 and draft nothing but pitchers.
The excuses some people make for Minasian incompetence are beyond belief.
5.31 ERA last year and a WAR of -0.4………….yep, he should fit right in with Perry’s declaration that “we intend to compete in 2024”.
It’s always perplexing to me how year after year Minasian makes these types of signings, and Angels fans accept them and actually have hope that they will pan out.
As for Livan Soto, the Angels had been starting Andrew Velazquez at SS for nearly a season and a half instead of giving this youngster a proper shot. Soto will end up contributing to another club… at least he’ll now receive a proper shot.
The trash collection efforts continue. This team won’t win 70 games as currently constructed.
Good riddance. He had no clue, to where the ball was going….