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Zack Cozart Not Progressing

By Connor Byrne | June 25, 2019 at 6:36pm CDT

Infielder Zack Cozart’s Murphy’s Law tenure with the Angels continues. Out since late May because of left shoulder tightness, Cozart revealed Tuesday that he’s not progressing toward a return, as Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times tweets.

“It’s not too promising,” said Cozart, who will visit a doctor Monday. Cozart’s still “hopeful” he’ll play again this season, per DiGiovanna.

For Cozart, this is the latest unsettling development in an Angels stint loaded with disappointment. The former Red joined the Halos on a three-year, $38MM contract in December 2017, though injuries and underperformance have defined his career since then.

Always known for his defense, Cozart found another gear at the plate during an eyebrow-raising .297/.385/.458 showing (140 wRC+) with 24 home runs in 507 attempts in 2017 – his last season in Cincy. Cozart hasn’t come anywhere near that line as an Angel, though, nor has he been durable. The 33-year-old underwent season-ending shoulder surgery last June, thus limiting him to 58 games and 253 PA, and came back this year to total 38/107 in those categories before landing on the IL with yet another shoulder problem. Worsening matters, Cozart has batted a miserable .190/.261/.296 (55 wRC+) with five HRs and minus-0.6 fWAR in 360 trips to the plate as an Angel.

Now, Cozart’s no longer the necessary piece the Angels regarded the veteran as when they signed him. Primary second baseman Tommy La Stella and main third baseman David Fletcher have each blown by Cozart on the team’s pecking order to help comprise a respectable infield alongside currently injured shortstop mainstay Andrelton Simmons. Still, it’s far from ideal Cozart’s eating so much payroll space. The Angels will owe him another $12.6MM-plus in 2020 to conclude his ill-fated deal.

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Los Angeles Angels Zack Cozart

Alex Wood Suffers Setback
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Minor MLB Transactions: 6/25/19
View Comments (51)
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51 Comments

  1. todd76

    6 years ago

    That signing was bad.

    5
    Reply
    • bjsguess

      6 years ago

      In hindsight – sure. At the time, it was widely praised. Nobody expected a repeat of his 2017 season. However, with his defense and just a league average bat he would more than outplay that contract.

      2
      Reply
      • Vizionaire

        6 years ago

        i’m not buying that. yes, his defense was decent but we signed him after an career year of offence going intro free agency. nobody expected this low level of production but the team surely over-payed him.

        3
        Reply
        • martyfan

          6 years ago

          Yes, the Angels overpaid but it’s not like the Pujols or Hamilton signings, right?

          2
          Reply
        • Vizionaire

          6 years ago

          hamilton signing was bad but do you know the team received extra billion in tv contract just for signing pujols? of course not.. besides, his jersey sales numbers are only behind of trout’s.

          Reply
        • Steven Chinwood

          6 years ago

          “the team received extra billion in tv contract just for signing Pujols” That is one of the most outlandish claims I’ve ever seen. WTF Man?

          4
          Reply
        • Vizionaire

          6 years ago

          it is a fact. new in trolling?

          Reply
        • PeeWeeGaskins

          6 years ago

          PAID*

          No such word as “payed.”

          Reply
        • Vizionaire

          6 years ago

          thank you, pee!

          Reply
        • Greg_winner

          6 years ago

          Pujols enabled the Angels to get a multi-billion $ contract from Time Warner, and at least he’s been productive. Hamilton on the other hand, I can agree with. Cozart was never a good signing, they had a chance to get Moustakas for about the same money and passed. However, Fletcher and La Stella have more than made up for Cozart’s absents.

          Reply
        • Vizionaire

          6 years ago

          i checked. you check. i agree i miss-spelled the word but there is a word ‘payed’.

          Reply
        • hossmandu

          6 years ago

          Didn’t know that the Angels were on a Time Warner network. Interesting.

          Reply
        • Vizionaire

          6 years ago

          it’d fox,actually. initially, it was a $2 billion bit after ap signing extra billion was added.

          Reply
        • hossmandu

          6 years ago

          You seem to know a lot about the transaction. You work for Fox or the Angels? The TV deal was agreed to PRIOR to Pujols and CJ Wilson signing. If you go back and read the Pujols/Wilson signing articles it is clear that the TV deal enabled the signings, not the other way around.

          Reply
      • Monkey’s Uncle

        6 years ago

        Praised by some? Sure. Widely praised? I don’t know, I seem to remember a number of eyebrows being raised at that deal when Cozart became an Angel.

        2
        Reply
        • ilovelamp

          6 years ago

          This was a contract Eppler jumped on while most of MLB suddenly became skittish and stopped signing players like Cozart.

          This site, like the rest of the media, likes to simultaneously sh– on teams for signing players too contracts that don’t work out, and for NOT signing players to contracts that probably won’t work out.

          The Angels tried, and an 80% Cozart would have filled a need. It didn’t work out, but at least the team was willing to spend the money.

          3
          Reply
        • Greg_winner

          6 years ago

          Agree. However, things happen and Fletcher and La Stella have more than made up for his absence

          1
          Reply
      • Oxford Karma

        6 years ago

        The signing made no sense. Signing a guy to move him to a new position is almost always a dumb move, especially a one hit wonder. They could have had Moustakis (or Todd Frazier) for less years and about half the money per year. And they were actually third basemen!

        1
        Reply
    • fantasysportsadvice

      6 years ago

      Cozart has definitely not been the signing LAA wanted.

      2
      Reply
    • its_happening

      6 years ago

      Cozart signing was bad.

      Pujols and Hamilton signings became bad.

      CJ Wilson signing was really bad.

      Justin Upton was an overpay.

      Matt Harvey and Trevor Cahill were way overpaid.

      Theft is embraced in Anaheim.

      2
      Reply
  2. solaris602

    6 years ago

    I criticized the Reds for not trading Cozart by the 2017 deadline and basically let him to walk into free agency without getting anything in return. CIN did not, however, attempt to retain him in any way, and that was a clear stroke of genius.

    2
    Reply
    • Deleted Userrrrr

      6 years ago

      Not trading him at the 2017 deadline was the bonehead decision of the year. Reds did the same thing with Harvey last year.

      3
      Reply
    • iceman35pilot

      6 years ago

      Genius and the Reds should never be in a paragraph together. Ever

      2
      Reply
    • Oxford Karma

      6 years ago

      When a guys original team makes no effort to sign him, that’s a red flag.

      3
      Reply
  3. Vizionaire

    6 years ago

    maybe, just maybe he’s enjoying ‘vacation’ too much?

    Reply
  4. jorge78

    6 years ago

    A player having a career year in a contract year? Shocking!

    3
    Reply
  5. yamsi1912

    6 years ago

    Don’t worry Zack the Angels don’t want you back.

    Reply
    • ilovelamp

      6 years ago

      Yes, because rooting for career ending injuries makes one a superior fan

      Reply
      • yamsi1912

        6 years ago

        It’s not like he has performed at all while he’s been healthy with the Angels. Guys gonna make $50,000,000 by age 35. After he’s back healthy he will ride the bench. He may even get released.

        Reply
  6. Monkey’s Uncle

    6 years ago

    When I saw the headline “Zack Cozart not progressing”, I initially forgot he was injured and I just figured it was an article explaining why he still can’t hit at all.

    Reply
  7. antibelt

    6 years ago

    He’s not doing anything to help the players fighting for more free agency money.

    1
    Reply
  8. 5toolMVP

    6 years ago

    What a disaster…Just DFA the guy already.

    2
    Reply
  9. coldbeer

    6 years ago

    I’m sure the Jays would be more than willing to listen on Sogard. What a year he’s having. Hard to believe he’s kept it up this long tbh.

    Reply
  10. murphydog

    6 years ago

    La Stella signing by Eppler easily erases Cozart signing by 100 miles!

    1
    Reply
    • Banesays

      6 years ago

      Eppler didn’t sign him. He was traded to the Angels. Nice try though.

      Reply
      • Mikey Maestaz

        6 years ago

        Who traded for him?

        Reply
        • Yankeedynasty

          6 years ago

          He was on the Cubs bench

          Reply
  11. Miguel Jr

    6 years ago

    Take your time Zack. Don’t rush your return to the field and make things worse. Take the rest of the season off.

    As a matter of fact, take next season off as well! And when you come back healthy in 2021, you will be a healthy free agent and maybe the Reds will take you back!

    2
    Reply
  12. Charlo

    6 years ago

    What the heck is “although, it’s far from ideal Cozart’s eating so much payroll space” doing as its own sentence? It’s not even a grammatically correct sentence. Poor editing at MLBTR yet again.

    Reply
  13. prov356

    6 years ago

    If Scioscia were still at the helm, he would play Cozart if he came back over LaStella or Fletcher. With Ausmus, I don’t think he’ll get much playing time if he ever gets healthy enough to return.

    Reply
    • angelsfan4life

      6 years ago

      Ausmus was the one who decided to option Fletcher done to the minors to start the season.

      Reply
      • angelsfan4life

        6 years ago

        Down not done lol

        Reply
        • prov356

          6 years ago

          The season had to unfold a little and there was a log jam for Fletcher who had options. But Ausmus has always said that guys will have to earn playing time and that’s what he has lived by.

          Reply
  14. AngelDiceClay

    6 years ago

    Somehow someway he will have a great 2020 season. After all it’s his Walk year once again. It’s Amazing how many times this happens.

    Reply
    • Vizionaire

      6 years ago

      that will be great. angels for the first time in many years will have an extra pick. nah!

      Reply
  15. Arturo_Mendez

    6 years ago

    Today’s news story. The streets run red with Cozarts blood.

    Reply
  16. darkangel

    6 years ago

    not progressing? now that’s the best news i’ve heard all day. we can stop wasting out time.

    Reply
  17. jbix909

    6 years ago

    Why is there 2 mm’s after a salary?

    Reply
  18. hossmandu

    6 years ago

    MM is the correct shortening of the word million. M is a thousand, MM is a thousand thousands… a million.

    Reply
  19. Ohtani-san

    6 years ago

    I wanted them to sign Moose

    Reply
  20. Jessiegirl

    6 years ago

    Zack Cozart is a good ball player and was the best shortstop player…I hated to see him leave the Reds and I hope someday he can go back to them…People should stop running their mouths about him…Could be just jealous….
    Take your time Zack and get better..

    Reply

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