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Angels Sign Cesar Valdez To Minor League Contract

By Mark Polishuk | December 3, 2022 at 7:05pm CDT

The Angels have signed right-hander Cesar Valdez to a minor league deal, ESPN’s Enrique Rojas reports (Twitter link).  Valdez receives an invitation to the Angels’ big league Spring Training camp, and he will receive a guaranteed $950K if he makes the active roster.

The veteran righty is back in Anaheim after also signing a minors deal with the Halos last offseason.  Valdez only made a single appearance at the MLB level, and was then designated for assignment and subsequently outrighted off the 40-man roster.  Pitching much of the season at Triple-A Salt Lake, Valdez had a 3.94 ERA, 21% strikeout rate, and a very strong 3.8% walk rate over 146 1/3 innings, all as a starter.

Though Valdez just got onto that one game with the Angels, it was enough to make it five career MLB seasons for the 37-year-old.  He made his debut way back in 2010 with 20 innings for the Diamondbacks, next surfaced in the majors in 2017 with the A’s and Blue Jays, and then didn’t appear in the big leagues again until working out of the Orioles’ bullpen in 2020.

Valdez’s odd career arc (that also includes stops in the Mexican League and the Chinese Professional Baseball League) has seen him move back and forth several times between starter and relief roles, but it would appear he’ll head to the Angels’ camp as rotation depth.  Never much of a strikeout pitcher throughout his career, Valdez has relied on grounders to generate outs, and he has a 49.1% groundball rate over his 112 career innings at the Major League level.

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Los Angeles Angels Transactions Cesar Valdez

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View Comments (40)
Post a Comment

40 Comments

  1. Plugnplay

    3 years ago

    Sign him up! Good thing we got him before anyone else.

    3
    Reply
    • Johnny Bravo

      3 years ago

      It’s for the minor league AAA farm system pitching depth.

      Reply
    • David B Fox

      3 years ago

      I almost fell for the $950,000,000 thing. Geeze.

      Reply
      • Plugnplay

        3 years ago

        Don’t worry about the money. We need quality RP help.

        Reply
        • GoogleMe

          3 years ago

          Angels appear to be stocking up depth on relievers at the moment. Hopefully they don’t plan to throw bodies at the RP position at the major league level. I would still like them to add a Chaffin or Ottavino. It won’t be long before the Angels no longer have to cobble together a relief staff via free agency as they will have their own in house options.

          Reply
  2. JeffreyChungus

    3 years ago

    Guaranteed $950MM if he makes the team? That’s a steal for Cesar Valdez!

    Here’s a quick Spanish tip for ya Mark, “Mil” in Spanish means a thousand

    4
    Reply
    • .

      3 years ago

      Sheesh Fletch I don’t even recall this guy..Should I be excited???

      2
      Reply
      • JeffreyChungus

        3 years ago

        Nah. He’s 38 next year and has a pitch-to-contact approach. The AA pen arms + Davis Daniel will probably get a shot before him.

        Good season in AAA last year though.

        1
        Reply
      • Plugnplay

        3 years ago

        I’m guilty to Trumbo. I didn’t realize either that he pitched for us last year.

        1
        Reply
      • Angels fan 75

        3 years ago

        He was decent in AAA but he is “depth”. Perry calls it.

        2
        Reply
  3. angryyankeesfan1

    3 years ago

    Bro boutta be rich

    1
    Reply
  4. angryyankeesfan1

    3 years ago

    Bro boutta be rich.

    2
    Reply
  5. Dutch

    3 years ago

    Wow. He can buy the team if he makes it.

    3
    Reply
  6. .

    3 years ago

    If he can pull down another mil he can get his own Chick Fil A franchise going.

    Reply
  7. Buzz Killington

    3 years ago

    And the Rangers payed degrom $200 million.

    1
    Reply
  8. jordanjee

    3 years ago

    Valdez is halfway to buying the team from Arte for simply making it out of camp. Steal of the millennium for this dude.

    3
    Reply
  9. vaderzim

    3 years ago

    He’ll be lighting up radar guns with his 78 mph Fastball.

    1
    Reply
  10. TheDogDays

    3 years ago

    This signing is all about the coffee.

    1
    Reply
    • Yankees chase 28

      3 years ago

      MIEIDA PAI LICEY

      Reply
  11. candymaldonado

    3 years ago

    No one’s gonna buy the team if it’s got a billion dollar reliever on it, Arte.

    3
    Reply
    • Dutch

      3 years ago

      But they’ll have 950MM coming off the books next offseason. That will free up a lot of money.

      1
      Reply
    • Dutch

      3 years ago

      they’ll have 950MM coming off the books next offseason. With that they may be able to resign Ohtani.

      Reply
  12. Halo11Fan

    3 years ago

    A pitcher who can’t break 80?

    The biggest hole on this team is their pen. At least these are not major league contracts, or worse yet, those wink, wink, nod, nod, minor league contracts where they are pretty much guaranteed to make the team. i.e. Guerra.

    Reply
  13. Vagabond 2

    3 years ago

    Sounds realer than the Real Deal Holy field dude’s probly 43 in real life…

    Reply
  14. Angels fan 75

    3 years ago

    I was hoping they would have signed Chris Martin but not at that price.

    Reply
    • Halo11Fan

      3 years ago

      You and me both. Martin would have been a nice add.

      Reply
  15. King Floch

    3 years ago

    Cesar’s changeup can be absolutely devastating when it’s working for him but $950 million is probably a slight overpay.

    1
    Reply
    • Plugnplay

      3 years ago

      You had me at slight.

      Reply
  16. dave-21

    3 years ago

    $950MM? I’d do it for half of that!

    Reply
  17. Plugnplay

    3 years ago

    Lol, with the $950m comments. It is fun to play with. If only we had it.

    1
    Reply
  18. .

    3 years ago

    Valdez will sign an extension at the break. 3 years 60 mil.

    Reply
  19. Mark Polishuk

    3 years ago

    As some of you may have suspected, Valdez’s deal is for $950K, not $950MM. The typo has been corrected!

    2
    Reply
    • Plugnplay

      3 years ago

      Thank you Mark, but it was more fun with 950m.

      1
      Reply
    • Buff Barnacles

      3 years ago

      Morning Mark. More editing needed in your last paragraph as well.

      Reply
  20. HalosHeavenJJ

    3 years ago

    At his age and experience level, he’s probably great to have around the AA guys as they move up the ladder.

    Reply
    • Plugnplay

      3 years ago

      Are u talking about our championship team, the Trash Pandas? Because most Don’t realize we got a chip last year.

      Reply
      • HalosHeavenJJ

        3 years ago

        Yes. I followed tyat team pretty closely. Interviewed a couple players and the manager.

        Those guys will be moving up this year. I anticipate a couple bullpen guys in MLB this year.

        Reply
        • Plugnplay

          3 years ago

          Hope your right, I still would like to see at least 1 high leverage RP added this off-season.

          I’m even ok bringing back Lorenzen on the cheap for SP#6.
          Then have our younger SP’s for depth.

          1
          Reply
        • HalosHeavenJJ

          3 years ago

          Agreed all the way around.

          Davidson needs to be upgraded.

          Bullpen needs help.

          Reply
  21. Redstitch108* 2

    3 years ago

    Earthshattering.

    Reply

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