Infielder Luis Rengifo won his arbitration hearing against the Angels, reports Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. He’ll be paid the $5.95MM figure at which he and his reps at the MVP Sports Group filed rather than the $5.8MM submitted by the team.
This marks Rengifo’s final trip through the arbitration process before reaching free agency next winter. The switch-hitting 27-year-old (28 later this month) has been a steady presence in the Halos’ infield for the past three years, batting a combined .273/.323/.431 in that time and improving his overall output each season along the way. This past season, Rengifo posted a hearty .300/.347/.417 with six homers and a career-high 24 steals in just 78 games/304 plate appearances.
Unfortunately for both Rengifo and the Angels, he missed nearly half the season with a wrist injury that twice sent him to the injured list — first on July 5 and then again on Aug. 3 in what wound up being a season-ending placement. That injury limited Rengifo’s earning power in arbitration and also ruled out any possibility of a summer trade. The Angels were more focused on trading impending free agents than players with control beyond 2024 anyhow, so perhaps he never would’ve been on the block, but the wrist issue also surely gave interested teams some pause.
Heading into the 2025 season, Rengifo looks poised to be the Angels’ primary second baseman. He’s comfortable all over the diamond, with 600+ innings at each of second, third and shortstop (plus another 238 innings in the outfield). Continued health troubles for oft-injured third baseman Anthony Rendon could see Rengifo slide back over to the hot corner, but yesterday’s agreement between the Angels and Yoan Moncada gives manager Ron Washington more options at the hot corner.
With Rengifo’s case now settled, the Angels have wrapped up this year’s arbitration dealings. They went 0-for-2 in hearings, losing to both Rengifo and outfielder Mickey Moniak. The Angels also exchanged figures with lefty reliever Jose Quijada, but the two parties managed to strike up a deal about a week after that exchange, negating the need for a hearing.
Love anytime the players win these. Hope he gave management an emphatic DX crotch chop.
Are you ready?
Dumb to file over $150k
Understood, but it’s the principle on both sides much more than it is the money.
That’s a three percent increase. Never dumb to fight for more money that you believe you deserve.
Dumb of the Angels is the point, not Rengifo
It’s easy to give away other people’s money, isn’t it?
Angels can’t even get wins in arbitration
We can’t win, that would be a sin, we even lose the games before they begin.
Plus other players hear stuff like this and won’t want to sign with Angels.
are you saying the players are so soft they can’t handle the business side of the profession they chose because all teams go to arb over seemingly trivial amounts?
I think arbitration just wants to stick it to Arte
Who is Anthony Rendon?
Notorious Anthony DL Rendon the one who said this is not my priority. This is just a job. The one that never comes to spring training in shape.
That seems rather harsh that they would squabble over such an insignificant amount of money. Just give it to the man, he’s been a solid performer for them and very versatile.
@mute button. I’ll give you solid performer. The versatility is only beneficial in fantasy baseball. He’s really just a 2b/3b.
@Rex still, there’s that, + switch hitter. I think lots of clubs would pay him more than $5.95 million, right?
Get what you’re you saying, but arbitration figures are incremental.
“Luis Regnifio got $5.9M, so I should get $6.2M…” And on and in.
Boy, I was on pins and needles about that arb hearing. A fight to the death over 150K.
Wonder how much of that salary the Angels will eat once they trade him come June
Good, F Arte
Really Angels?! You went to arbitration against Rengifo after a great season over $150K?! With all the stupid mega contracts they’ve given out over the past decade? Classless and moronic.
Unfortunately, they’ve always been a classless and disloyal organization. And I say this as a lifelong Angels fan.
What else comes to mind, that they are classless and disloyal?
Every team goes to arb over seemingly trivial amounts at some point in time. Nothing to do with loyalty or class, it’s about money for both sides.
Angels are 0 for 2 in arbitration.
Good for Luis.
His wife’s Valentine’s Day present just grew another carat.
Given that an arrest warrant was issued for Rengifo in Venezuela for forging documents to prevent his wife from getting property in their divorce settlement, I don’t think he’s going to be buying her a Valentine’s gift.
That was in 2021. Do you have anything recent? He couldn’t get a visa to play in the US if that was not settled.
Not saying they aren’t good at arbitration, but despite the agreement, they still lost to Quijada.
Love the guy. Hope he gets well graded work at SS to get a 4 year utility deal in free agency to put that 10 year chip in the bag.
4y/35m my early prediction.
Now trade him to the Yankees!
No offense to Angels fans, but they’re going to need him for the inevitable Rendon injury.
No offense taken – death, taxes and Rendon goes down after 40-60 games.
40-60 games that’s pretty optimistic, I’m pretty sure Rendon’s permanent position is IL.
Now why would that be offensive?
@acoss. No offense taken, but he’s penciled at 3rd. Rendon has to compete for a spot. Perry has said that after the season finished up.Looks like it’s newman/moancada at 2nd when neto comes back. Looks they could be gearping up for a release.
What offense? I set my clock by his Roger Dorn-esque mystery ailments. He’s basically a drinking game at this point. He’s a punchline. His injury status always brings me great entertainment.
No, trade him to San Diego.
Padres are on a diet.
Does the team need to pay for the arbitration costs (lawyers, arbiter , etc) or does MLB foot the bill? If the teams have to pay, it makes no sense to have a hearing for less than a $300K difference. Even if MLB does cover the entire cost, why go to arbitration over a 2.5% difference in offers? It seems really petty to me, especially for someone in their last year of arbitration. Yet another classic result for the Angels. They throw money away in free agency, yet take one of their best, versatile players to a hearing over a $150K difference in salary. That’s how you build team loyalty right there!
Good. That was one of the dumbest arbitration cases.
What’s the smallest amount over which a team and player have gone to an arb hearing? $150k has to be in the top five, right?
That’s a petty amount to fight over. He may have missed significant time but he’s turned into one of the few prospects that managed to be productive before the current batch.
@ryanWKrol. He turned out well, because Friedman drafted him with the rays.
I’m pretty sure he originally signed with the Mariners, then got dealt to the Rays in an otherwise no-name minor league trade.
Moncada
Who is Anthony rendon
Anthony will probably move on now
I would take kieboom over my dear close friend Anthony
Great signing
I like jd Davis over dear Anthony
Note: ohtani stole the thunder from trout and rendon
Your post reads like poem.
Barring a resurgence, I’m guessing the Angels hold on to Rendon this season and release him before the end of May ’26.
This is going to be the most interesting Spring Training in years. Players, young and old, competing for a roster spot, and playing time.
Go Angels
Arte probably paid a team of attorneys more money than the gap was between the team and Rengifo, to defend this thing. More proof of his senility.
I’ve become a Rengifo fan so glad he won his hearing. Our infield might actually be solid this season. But our pitching still stinks.
Arte is 0 fer 2. He went to arbitration over $150k.
I’m really surprised that any player in his final arb year would go to a hearing for such a small sum of money after watching what happened to JD Davis.
I’ve suffered as an Angels fan since the 70s.
The Scioscia years were just a blip on the radar now.
Back to S.N.A.F.U. systems normal…look up the rest!
Think about this teams’ legacy of letting both Nolan Ryan and Shohei walk.
I’m so proud…
What was Arte Moreno thinking not trading Shohei for a boat load of prospects the team really wasn’t that close in contention four or five games back. Can you imagine what we could’ve gotten in return have you noticed Arte doesn’t make public appearances
Arte is a businessmen It’s all about the dollars not about baseball running this franchise into the ground , eventually the attendance will drop maybe then he’ll sell the team
Arte should have left with Scioscia. Not sure why but things changed at the Big A quickly after Mike left.
Arte used to treat everyone really well.
Then went completely off the rails.
All employees are treated vastly different now…if they were not let go in the big purge a couple years ago.
Very dark unhappy feelings amongst the employees, that’s a 180° change too.
Carpino is a problem and has got to go too…sooner the better.