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Angels Release Amir Garrett, Adam Kolarek

By Darragh McDonald | August 14, 2024 at 10:35am CDT

The Angels have released a pair of lefties that were each in the system in a non-roster capacity. Amir Garrett and Adam Kolarek have both been let go, per each player’s transactions tracker at MLB.com.

Garrett, 32, signed a minor league deal with the Giants this winter. That club decided he wasn’t going to make the Opening Day roster and released him, which freed him up to sign a minor league deal with the Angels. He was selected to the big league roster at the end of April and was in the majors for about two weeks. He tossed 5 1/3 innings in that time, racking up an impressive 11 strikeouts but also giving out five walks, leading to a 5.06 earned run average.

He was designated for assignment in the middle of May but returned to the Halos on a new minor league deal. He has tossed 33 2/3 innings at the Triple-A level this year with a 5.08 ERA, 28.5% strikeout rate and 10.6% walk rate. He’s been in good form lately, with a 1.59 ERA over his eight most recent appearances. In 11 1/3 innings in that stretch, he has 20 strikeouts and just four walks, all of that taking place in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League.

Despite that strong run in recent weeks, the lefty has little utility for the Angels at this point. They are out of contention and will likely be using what’s left of the season to evaluate guys who could help in the future. That includes plenty of internal arms and they also claimed a couple of arms yesterday in Nick Robertson and Brock Burke, who are both optionable and controllable. Garrett, on the other hand, is a veteran with over six years of service time.

Perhaps those waiver claims nudged Garrett out, giving him a chance to a find a new club in the coming weeks. He has some success on his track record, mostly combining lots of strikeouts with lots of walks. In 330 2/3 big league innings to this point in his career, he has a 4.95 ERA, 26.7% strikeout rate and 13.3% walk rate.

With the trade deadline now in the past, teams are fairly limited in terms of their avenues for adding talent. Garrett can be wild but he has been an effective setup guy in the past, racking up over 20 holds with the Reds in both 2018 and 2019. His numbers this year are decent and could lead to him getting a shot somewhere else in the coming weeks. If he signs before the end of August, he’ll be postseason eligible with a new club.

Kolarek, 35, is also a veteran with a notable track record, but he’s had less success this year. The Angels signed him in the offseason to a deal worth $900K and then ran him through waivers. Since Kolarek has more than three years of service time but less than five, he could have returned to free agency but would have left that money on the table by doing so.

He accepted his assignment and has tossed 31 innings at the Triple-A level this year but with a 6.97 ERA. There’s surely some bad luck in there, as his .415 batting average on balls in play and 58.5% strand rate are both on the unfortunate side, but his rate stats aren’t amazing either. His 22% strikeout rate and 48.9% ground ball rate are close to average but his 12% walk rate is a few ticks worse than par.

His major league track record consists of 149 1/3 innings with a 3.62 ERA. His 15.9% strikeout rate in that time is low but he has only walked 6.8% of batters faced and has gotten grounders at a huge 63.9% clip. His Triple-A numbers this year haven’t taken the same shape but some club could perhaps take a shot on him, especially since the Angels are on the hook for what’s left of that salary. Any other club would only have to pay him the prorated league minimum for any time spent on the roster, which would be subtracted from what the Halos pay.

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Los Angeles Angels Transactions Adam Kolarek Amir Garrett

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43 Comments

  1. This one belongs to the Reds

    1 year ago

    Amir showed some promise once upon a time, but has never realized it as the walks have killed him.

    Still, as a lefty reliever, he has a few of his nine lives left in MLB before he’s done.

    6
    Reply
    • User 3222006999

      1 year ago

      I think it’s more his attitude has kept him from reaching any of his potential. Guy is Milton Bradley 2.0. But you’re right. Somebody will think they can fix him in all likelihood.

      10
      Reply
      • This one belongs to the Reds

        1 year ago

        I always said, once opponents know they can get in your head, they will keep at you.

        Definitely relates to Amir as you said.

        Reply
      • bkbk

        1 year ago

        Milton Bradley did 36 months for DV, he wasn’t passionate he was abusive. Garrett is just a dude with too much fire, dont comapre them, that aint fair.

        8
        Reply
      • SteveFinleyEnthusiast

        1 year ago

        My “favorite” Milton Bradley moment was in ’07 when he tore his ACL while yelling at an ump.

        Granted, the ump ended up getting suspended for yelling obscenities at Bradley, but still. Such a bizarre moment that felt like an omen for that Padres team that ended up losing the one game playoff against the Rockies.

        4
        Reply
        • SODOMOJO

          1 year ago

          Milton Bradley, man that name unlocks some deep seeded resentment

          1
          Reply
        • User 3222006999

          1 year ago

          Almost ranks up there with Justin Houston doing his Sack Dance for the Bears against NE in a game they were losing by like 45 points. Tore his ACL too. LMAO

          2
          Reply
    • SODOMOJO

      1 year ago

      I really thought he was gonna be great. He’s still got a big arm, just can’t find good strikes consistently. He seems to be incapable of nibbling the corners.

      2
      Reply
  2. Old York

    1 year ago

    Angels are clearing out the bullpen garage sale.

    1
    Reply
    • User 3222006999

      1 year ago

      Old York- But they’re building a Playoff team around O’Hoppe according to Rexie. Why get rid of all this talent?

      Reply
      • Rexhudler86

        1 year ago

        @unclemike you can’t read, and keep repeating yourself. I always said it was a pr move. O’hoppe wasn’t ever on the block, and just said his price was most likely very steep. Congratulations you made it on the locked on angels podcast when they mentioned cub fans thinking they could get him for a couple relievers.

        6
        Reply
        • User 3222006999

          1 year ago

          2 Relievers? That was way too much. But you said he was worth 5 top 100 picks? That’s just the crazy in you jumping out of your head. It’s too easy to bait you into saying something dumb. It’s just who you are. LOL

          Reply
        • Rexhudler86

          1 year ago

          I didn’t know the top 5 were in the top 100, and I did walk it back. Whatever makes you feel better Mike you say the same insults and troll on a website.

          5
          Reply
        • PITA

          1 year ago

          i think uncle mikey is a lil special, if you know what i mean…

          6
          Reply
        • User 3222006999

          1 year ago

          Why is Rexies brother here now? Rex you calling all your friends now? Are both oif them gonna show up. Your post has 3 likes. LMAO. Or do you have 3 accounts?

          Reply
        • MickeyTheMod

          1 year ago

          It now has four and you are now

          Muted

          1
          Reply
        • User 3222006999

          1 year ago

          You too!

          Reply
        • kellin

          1 year ago

          @rex The Halo Bros comments about cubs players regarding O’Hoppe had me laughing, ’cause I was totally thinking the same thing. I wanna know if the two of them have profiles on this site.

          1
          Reply
        • Rexhudler86

          1 year ago

          @kellin I bet Jon does, seems like he does most of the research. I was laughing as well because I feel like they were talking about uncle Mike since he was all over the article saying the same two lines.

          1
          Reply
        • kellin

          1 year ago

          @rex I asked, and you were right – Jon does, but he doesn’t post.

          Reply
        • Rexhudler86

          1 year ago

          @kellin figured. some of the talking points seem like they came out of the comments section.

          Reply
  3. Rishi

    1 year ago

    Garrett reminds me of Sean Newcomb.

    2
    Reply
  4. 0523me

    1 year ago

    Strong strikeout numbers of late, a lefty, is not on the IL… Brewers may take a flyer, even if just to abuse his arm in mop up duty a couple times, it would benefit their core relief options.

    Reply
  5. LambchoP

    1 year ago

    Twins should grab Garrett. Desperate for a lefty in our pen…

    Reply
  6. Buff Barnacles

    1 year ago

    I could see them becoming Blue Jays soon.

    Reply
  7. 92jays

    1 year ago

    Remember that time garret beat up the pirates

    2
    Reply
    • This one belongs to the Reds

      1 year ago

      Hurdle was the great instigator of beanball wars and such. Not just with Cincinnati either.

      Reply
      • User 3222006999

        1 year ago

        Wasn’t Ray Miller Hurdles Pitching Coach? I think he a lot to do with it. Or whoever was the pitching coach. My memory is getting old.

        Reply
        • Monkey’s Uncle

          1 year ago

          Ray Searage was Hurdle’s pitching coach. Ray Miller was Jim Leyland’s Pirate pitching coach.

          1
          Reply
        • User 3222006999

          1 year ago

          Nice catch. thanks man. they were both A**holes. I remember them starting a bean ball war with the Cubs but they forgot 1 thing. The Cubs had Kyle Farnsworth. He plunked somebody in retaliation and the Pirate dude ran out there and went backwards faster than he went forwards. If I’m in a fight I want Farnsworth behind me.Hurdle and Searage I mean.

          Reply
        • Monkey’s Uncle

          1 year ago

          Hey now I’m a Pirates fan, I loved both of them… but I can completely understand why fans of other teams wouldn’t. They both preached pitching inside, and if need be pitch way inside.

          Reply
        • johnnyangel

          1 year ago

          Always fun to go back and remember the good old days of Kyle Farnsworth!

          espn.com/espn/magazine/archives/news/story?page=ma…

          “Hell yes, his fellow big leaguers are scared of him.

          They’re not stupid.”

          1
          Reply
  8. California 8

    1 year ago

    If Anaheim/Angry Arte acquire Votto and sign him for a 2-3 year contract, it could be the spark they need to be competitive again and the motivation Trout needs to put in all out effort.

    1
    Reply
  9. This one belongs to the Reds

    1 year ago

    Speaking of Cincinnati, how did everyone like Barry Larkin throwing the manager under the bus on the broadcast last night? Politicking for the job maybe?

    Not that Bell is the greatest manager, but you don’t do that when you work for a ballclub as a broadcaster. Not a good look.

    Reply
    • Monkey’s Uncle

      1 year ago

      I agree with you that if Larkin did that (I wasn’t aware of it), it’s not a good look when it’s already well known that you’d like the job.

      Having said that, I genuinely don’t get David Bell as a manager. He’s an improvement over Bryan Price but that doesn’t say much. Then again, you could say the same thing about Derek Shelton, and many do.

      1
      Reply
  10. My Strawman > Your Strawman

    1 year ago

    Anyone willing to charge an entire dugout on his own will always deserve a second look in my view

    1
    Reply
    • Monkey’s Uncle

      1 year ago

      He’s good at throwing at people, running his mouth and acting tough, and then somehow miraculously getting pulled out of the fight before he can inflict any damage on anyone.

      Reply
      • RunDMC

        1 year ago

        Don’t downplay the bassassery of charging an entire dugout with fists flailing, regardless of what happened afterwards.

        We need viral moments like that to counter seeing teammates walking a limp-legged Tim Anderson to his dugout.

        Reply
  11. Logjammer D"Baggagecling

    1 year ago

    Amir Garrett welcome to Detroit. Your best friend Javier Baez is there. Rekindle you’re friendship.

    3
    Reply
    • Logjammer D"Baggagecling

      1 year ago

      Your*

      Reply
  12. Kamalafan

    1 year ago

    Nooo. Garrett is my favorite player

    Reply
    • letitbelowenstein

      1 year ago

      That doesn’t surprise me one bit.

      Reply
  13. Larry Brown's crank

    1 year ago

    i grew tired of Milton Bradleys games. i prefer to sign Parker Bros….

    1
    Reply

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