A trio of players designated for assignment by the Angels last week — right-hander Mike Mayers, first baseman Mike Ford and outfielder Magneuris Sierra — went unclaimed on outright waivers, per the league’s transactions log at MLB.com. All three were assigned outright to Triple-A Salt Lake. All three can reject the assignment in favor of free agency right now, though that’s largely a moot point, as all three can also become free agents after the season concludes.
Mayers, 30, is the most experienced of the bunch and has spent the most time with the Angels organization. From 2020-21, he was a regular in late-inning roles for the Halos, recording four saves and 22 holds through 105 innings pitched. In that span, Mayers worked to a sharp 3.34 ERA with a terrific 30.5% strikeout rate and a solid 8% walk rate — easily the best stretch of a big league career that now spans parts of seven seasons.
Unfortunately, Mayers wasn’t at all able to sustain that pace in 2022. He’s pitched 50 2/3 innings this year — third-most of any season in his Major League career — and been clubbed for a 5.68 ERA along the way. His average fastball velocity, which sat 94.6 mph in 2020-21, is down to a career-low 93.7 mph in 2022. He’s also seen his strikeout rate plummet to 20.2%, and after allowing just 1.11 homers per nine innings in 2020-21, he’s surrendered a whopping 2.66 long balls per nine frames this year.
Ford, also 30, has suited up for four big league teams in 2022 alone. The longtime Yankees prospect spent 16 games with the Mariners earlier in the season (across two stints), one with the Giants, eight with the Braves and now 28 with the Halos. Ford has been designated for assignment by each of those teams, however (twice by the Mariners), bringing his DFA total to a whopping five on the year.
Ford impressed in his rookie showing with the Yankees back in 2019, debuting to the tune of a .259/.350/.559 batting line and a dozen homers in just 163 plate appearances. He hit just .134/.250/.276 in 156 plate appearances over the next two seasons before being cut loose by the Yankees, however, and has now logged a combined .206/.302/.313 output in 149 plate appearances between his quartet of new teams in 2022.
Sierra, meanwhile, hit just .165/.200/.242 in 96 plate appearances with the Angels prior to his DFA. The former Cardinals and Marlins prospect is one of baseball’s fastest players, ranking in the 97th percentile for average sprint speed, per Statcast. He’s never gotten on base enough in the big leagues to make much use of his wheels, though, as evidenced by a lifetime .228/.273/.272 slash in 636 plate appearances.
Still scratching my head how Sierra stole at bats feom Adell and Ford stole Thaiss playing time. Although i seen Sandovals reaction every time adell blew a play spinning in the outfield, needed better D for development of pitchers.
Another reason to not want Nevin back.
Most of Sierra’s innings were in CF replacing the injured Trout and later Moniak. Upon Trouts return, Sierra was largely a late inning defensive replacement for Adell. He only played one full game in LF after Trout returned.
Angels & NL West, that’s a good point. But right now the Angels have three big choices. How do they use Rengifo, do the Angels go into next season planning to play Adell and Soto.
Rengifo is the worst defender on the Angels, and it’s not even close. He also has a sub 300 OBP. So where and how do you use him next year?
Rengifo should be a utility guy who gets regular time vs lefties and nothing more.
Angels need a legit middle infielder or two at the MLB level.
Soto’s bat is so far out in front of his minor league numbers that I’m not expecting it to last. Really hope I’m wrong, but we’ll see.
JJ, Soto’s AA numbers were pretty good. I’d be less impressed if those were AAA numbers.
He looks really good to me. With Neto in the wings, I don’t think SS is a need. This is a different kind of off season. A starting pitcher, bullpen help, and a RH batter who can play first and outfield. And of course locking up Ohtani. I’d look at that.
That .362 slugging percentage is what worried/worries me about the bat. One MLB pitchers know you can’t really hurt them they go right after you and the OBP also goes down.
So far not the case with Soto.
I’ve been saying for a couple of years we need an infielder. I’d be fine with a real infielder, Fletcher, then Rengifo as the bench guy.
What we always get is more akin to Fletcher, Rengifo, a waiver claim as the bench guy, then more cast offs once an injury happens.
Good point about the slugging. This is a tough off-season. I thought the other off-seasons were pretty simple, the holes were obvious.
This is tougher. SS, LF, 1B, 3B. Do you roll the dice. And to back them up, what kind of player do you bring in to back up those position.
I’m not impressed with Minasian. I’m not ready to throw him under the bus, but the supplemental players he’s brought in have not been very impressive, neither have been the essential players.
Those stats are not correct about Rengifo. Also Soto is nice, but his average EV is 90 mph, he’s a glove guy. Don’t let a couple weeks away.
BK, I definitely get that. If Neto wasn’t there, I think replacing soto would be an easier choice.
I don’t understand your comment about Rengifo. He’s a horrible defensive player and doesn’t get on base. In a small sample size he has killed LH this year, and he’s been anemic against RH his entire carrier. Prior to the small sample size of this year, he couldn’t hit either.
The Angels have way too many guys that were sub .300 OBP, Fletcher, Velazquez, Rengifo, Walsh, Marsh, Adell, Stassi, etc. It is hard to score runs when you can’t get on base. It is pretty easy to understand that it is easier to score from first or second than it is from the batter box. The Angels need to get more on base guys so they can score runs more consistently. I believe the trade for O’Hoppe and the draft of Neto will help in that department, but I have been fooled before. I thought the pickups of Tepera, Loup, and Bradley would help, but the bullpen has been a disaster again. I do like some of the bullpen prospects in house though, Joyce, Murphy, Torres, and maybe even Bachman. It has been a while since the Angels have had decent bullpen arms come up through the system.
it may have been one full game robbing adell’s at-bats but it is very true that adell lost so many at-bats because of him. when adell hit 4 for 5 or 3 for 4 he did not play the next game. nevin won a few games but delayed the development of an essencial player.
When are you guys going to give up on the idea of Jo Adell as an “essential player” anyway? Sure he might end up with a decent big league career, but I think the chances of him ever being a star are pretty much done.
he hasn’t reached the potential that he flashes when he gets to play. he is still young and needs constant at-bats.
I’m with you hiflew but have to say he’s still very young. He could be good if the angels stopped messing with his development. He needs to stay a full year at AAA to learn to hit and to play defense. He’s never spent a full season at any level of the minors. I don’t know what the rush is but it’s ruining his development.
The decision on Adell is why I want to bring in someone like Wil Myers.
Myers can play first agains LH pitchers, but can also be placed in LF and given everyday ABs if necessary. I don’t think anyone is counting on Adell, but you shouldn’t close the door on him either.
And I’m fine with Soto, and I’m fine with Rengifo playing agains LH pitcher.
And now that the shift is going away, you can’t have Rengifo getting every day ABs.
The problem is that you don’t get constant ABs in the big leagues to learn. You get those in the minors. Major League baseball is not on-the-job training. If guys come up and struggle, then it’s time for someone else. Just because someone at Baseball America thought he would be good, does not mean he should get unlimited time to prove it. Either he can or he cannot.
Hitflew, you are correct, but consistent ABs in the PCL don’t help either.
This is not a push button choice, which is why i would bring in a player like Myers.
no matter how many at-bats he gets in the minors if he doesn’t get mlb at-bats he won’t hit them.
Agreed. What is player doing to help big league team win? Couldn’t care less about “prospect status” in MLB, help the team win or team needs to find someone else. As the saying goes, “at some point the rubber needs to hit the road”, what some analyst at a ranking service thinks who’s never played the game becomes irrelevant.
Halo, Myers is an interesting idea I hadn’t thought of. The Padres are obviously not going to exercise his team option, so I expect he will be a free agent, I suppose there might be a team out there willing to sign him as an everyday player, but I can’t imagine teams will be lining up to give him that kind of deal, so I could see it working with the Angels.
aragon – Adell has to learn to hit AAA pitching before he learns MLB pitching. Once he excels at that consistently, then he should be promoted.
Not surprised, with Mike Ford he’s been on like 5 different teams this season.
Ford was an undrafted amateur by the Yankees, but he was never considered a prospect, even when the Yankees were searching for a 1B’man. By luck and injury, he stumbled onto the Yankees MLB roster in 2019, and had a hot six-week hitting stretch in the year of the jacked up ball. My thought at the time was he’ll never repeat that stretch, but he’s now guaranteed to get shots with four or five additional MLB clubs hoping 2019 wasn’t a mirage. I didn’t expect it to happen all in one season! A future coach once he’s ready to give up the dream.
Don’t think my liver can handle another season of the “Ford is DFA’d” drinking game.
I was impressed with Steve’s use of whopping a couple of times.
These three Angels players and their corresponding alter egos: Michael Meyers: The Slasher from Aurora, Mike Ford: “The Explorer”, and Magnum P.I. Sierra…
It’s an attempt, at least.
Steinbrenner, don’t stop there haha What about Trout? Rendon? Ohtani?
2020 feels so long ago for these lads…
Now Mike Mayers has Halloween free
What am I saying?!
He was an Angel — he’d have nothing going on in October. smh
mike ford bruh
Teams with organizational depth see their players claimed off wires.
Teams with no depth do the claiming.
Very obvious which the Angels have been the last decade.
Too bad Ford wasn’t claimed by another team; he could have played for his 5th MLB team this season.
Man I wonder how many times a guy can handle being told they aren’t good enough in a season. Has to hurt mr fords pride just a lil
A little, sure, but the paycheck always makes up for it.
I’m still sore that Rengifo wasn’t traded for Joc a few years back. Everytime I see or hear Rengifo’s name that’s all I think about. That is my stance on Luis R.
People on this board think the other player that would have been included in the trade was Ward.. I’m not a Rengifo fan, but I’m glad the Angels did not make that trade.
I have heard that before about Ward being included but never found any info on it myself. If true, I would not have wanted it in hindsight. I just feel like Rengifo should be doing more/have gotten better by now. I only expect so much of him based on what I have seen up to this point.
There was a report, I don’t remember where I heard or read it. Once the Dodgers won the arbitration vs Joc, the Dodgers wanted Fletcher included. Now for one season or Joc, a overrated Strickland and a prospect, that wasn’t rated that high at that time. I would have told the Dodgers no, if they wanted Fletcher in that trade as well.
It’s hard for me to express an opinion of a trade when I don’t know the pieces.
Anyone know what is up with Pujols’ “10 Year Service Contract” with the Halos?
He will probably be some sort of team ambassador.