The Angels announced a host of roster moves before tonight’s series in Toronto. Relievers Aaron Loup and Ryan Tepera and outfielder Taylor Ward were all placed on the restricted list. That’s standard procedure for players who haven’t been vaccinated against COVID-19 and are thus prohibited from traveling into Canada. In order to replace them on the roster, the Halos recalled righty José Marte and selected the contracts of reliever Gerardo Reyes and outfielder Ryan Aguilar. All three players have been designated as “substitutes,” meaning they can later be taken off the roster and returned to the minor leagues without passing through waivers.
It’s likely to be a temporary promotion for that trio, but Reyes and Aguilar have long-awaited opportunities to make an impact at the major league level. Reyes has a bit of big league experience, having come out of the bullpen 27 times for the 2019 Padres. The right-hander posted a 7.62 ERA over 26 innings. He spent 2020 at the alternate training site and was dealt from San Diego to Anaheim that deadline in exchange for veteran catcher Jason Castro.
Reyes was outrighted off the 40-man roster last March and underwent Tommy John surgery not long after, but he’s returned to action in Salt Lake this season. Through 39 innings with the Bees, the 29-year-old has a 3.69 ERA. He’s punched out an above-average 29.2% of opposing hitters but issued walks at an elevated 15.7% clip.
Aguilar, meanwhile, could get a chance to make his MLB debut. A 31st round pick of the Brewers out of the University of Arizona in 2016, he remained in the Milwaukee farm system through the end of last season. The 27-year-old signed a minor league deal with the Halos over the offseason and has spent the year at Double-A Rocket City. He’s posted an excellent .280/.427/.517 line with a massive 19% walk rate (albeit against generally younger competition) to earn a big league call. A left-handed hitter, he’s played primarily right field with the Trash Pandas.
Loup, Tepera and Ward will miss the weekend series. They’ll presumably rejoin the club on Monday, when they return home to host the Yankees. Sam Blum of the Athletic tweets that hitting coach Jeremy Reed also did not make the trip to Toronto.
Oh yeah….2023 is our year.
Good for Reyes. He’s been leading the league in OBP and has been 1 or 2 in OPS all year.
A guy who plays like that deserves sone time in the show during a year like this.
Gerardo Reyes? “Leading the League in On-Base Percentage and 1st or 2nd in OPS”??? While I’m not disputing he deserves MLB time, I’m quite confused by your metrics.
Aguilar. Has been at the top of the board for OBP and no worse than 2nd in OPS this season. In AA.
My mistake on the player.
Whatever it takes to see what the guys in the minors can do. Can’t do any worse than the team is currently doing.
Joke of a franchise. Congrats to new ownership, can’t happen soon enough.
Sorry, all teams have players who haven’t been vaccinated, what does this have to do with the team, in this instance?
The Angels have never lost more than 95 games, your team can’t say that.
This century the Angels have won six division titles, a World Series and once finished with the best record in baseball. I doubt your team can say that.
You’re a joke.
The organization is a joke. No farm system. 2 of the best players in baseball with zero help. Horrible ownership who consistently sides with small market teams. And an illegal parking lot deal which led to the mayor resigning and now… an ownership change. But please, go on.
You wrote Joke of a Franchise. It’s not a joke of a Franchise.
This Franchise, who doesn’t have a farm system, has produced a lot of good players. Walsh wasn’t a top 100 prospect, made the all star team. In the last 10 ten years this farm system has produced 4 MVPs.
It’s made some big mistakes. And this team right now is almost unwatchable. And no Angel fan is happy, but it’s certainly not a joke of a franchise.
What unwatchable franchise that isn’t a joke?
This year there has been times they are unwatchable, They have found new ways to lose.
Yet sadly as Halo fans we know they should have 2 or 3 more world titles under their belt and numerous more playoff appearances.
Lol. Good one.
Shoulda woulda coulda hah
I don’t even understand that comment.
But people are constantly digging the Angel farm system, I get it. The major reason their system stinks is they don’t tank.
Two years ago the Angels had the number 9 pick, the last time they had a pick number 9 pick or better was 1997. Joke franchises are always picking a lot better than that.
I know what you mean as far as “not tanking” etc…I jokingly meant by my comment that there were obviously steps they could have taken and such..to change things but past is past. No bigger Halo fan than me it’s just at this point I will call them on stuff if it doesn’t make sense. Hoping for big things/changes with Arte on his way out.
They have been horrible at signing foreign players. Some of the comments are deserved. When a team is constantly picking outside the top ten and are terrible at signing foreign players, their farm system will stink.
Angels franchise bar is consistent mediocrity
Gone from a joke to mediocre. You haven’t gone from joke to mediocre, you’re still a joke.
Fyi Neither of those things are good.
Neither a good. But I understand the difference. If the Angels were a joke, they would have more than 1 pick inside the top ten this century. Heck, there best pick this century is 9th. That’s pretty much the antithesis of Joke.
Might as well sign Brian Goodwin from the Mexico league at this point.
Goodness gracious is that where he is this year?!??!?? Wow I had no idea.
Missed tonight’s game, but it appears Aquilar has some plate discipline. Something the Angels desperately need as they have a lot of free swingers/swing and miss guys in the lineup. Hopefully, he can address another weakness, as well – situational hitting.