Today: The Angels have sent Calhoun outright to Triple-A Salt Lake, the team announced. Calhoun has the right to reject an outright assignment in favor of free agency, but it is unclear whether or not he plans to do so.
August 15: The Angels are going to designate first baseman/outfielder Willie Calhoun for assignment, according to Alden González of ESPN on X. Infielder/outfielder Jack López is being called up, per Jorge Castillo of ESPN on X.
Calhoun, 29, signed a minor league deal with the Angels in the offseason and was selected to the big league roster on the first day of May. Since then, he has stepped to the plate 254 times in 68 games. His 9.1% walk rate in that time is solid and he’s done a great job of avoiding strikeouts, just a 12.2% rate, but hasn’t done much damage. He has five home runs and his .245/.315/.380 batting line translates to a 94 wRC+. His .263 batting average on balls in play is below league average, but he’s one of the slowest runners in the league and he has subpar metrics in terms of exit velocity, barrel rate and hard hit rate.
That has generally been the recipe with Calhoun. Although he was once one of the top prospects in the league and had a 21-home run season in 2019, that was the juiced-ball season and he’s been far less impactful since then. He has 857 plate appearances from 2020 to the present with an 8.4% walk rate and 12.8% strikeout rate but just 18 home runs, a .231/.299/.360 batting line and 82 wRC+.
Calhoun isn’t a burner on the basepaths, as mentioned, and isn’t considered a strong defender. It was once thought that he could make up for those shortcomings with his hit tool but he hasn’t provided enough thump for that to be the case thus far. He exhausted his final option in 2022, which has led to him bouncing around the league in recent years, spending time with the Rangers, Giants, Yankees and Angels. With the trade deadline now passed, the Halos will have no choice but to put Calhoun on waivers in the coming days.
López, 31, signed a minor league deal with the Halos in the offseason. He has played 104 Triple-A games this year, hitting 12 home runs and slashing .274/.333/.421 for a wRC+ of 86 in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League.
There’s not much in his track record to suggest he’ll provide much more than that. He first reached Triple-A in 2017 and has played 687 minor league games from that year to the present. In that time, he has a .256/.306/.386 batting line and 77 wRC+. His major league experience consists of seven games with the 2021 Red Sox and he hit .154/.214/.308 in those.
However, he has regularly provided double-digit steals during his minor league career, including 15 so far this year. He’s also capable of playing all three outfield positions and the three infield spots to the left of first base. Calhoun has been the club’s designated hitter for much of the year but now they can rotate various players through that spot. With López giving them extra depth all over the diamond, they will have some cover for whoever is the DH on a given day.
Willie’s best year was in 2019, and that was the year the ball was juiced. The rest of his career numbers are not great…
Funny — That’s what the article said.
I just wanted to emphasize how much he sucks.
Why?
Do you now feel better about yourself for emphasizing your opinion?
The fact that Willie is playing MLB baseball is no small feat in itself. I do not understand how or why you trolls need to belittle a player.
I didn’t attack his character, I criticized his on-field numbers. That’s fair game.
I stand by my comment.
I do not understand why you even felt the need to say it at all.
Warden
He’s one of the thousand or so best players in the world
You almost certainly are not one of the best 1000 financial advisors, or whatever it is that you do
Warden
I have to hear this.
How is it fair game? How is it in this city/county/state/nation/world, in which we live in, FAIR GAME, to openly mock someone for what they do?
You do realize that this is a forum that consistently critiques every aspect of the sport right? In fact, there are posters that truly attack players based on their character traits, why don’t you go wag your righteous finger at them.
Typical
Dude who wants to emphasize how much someone else sucks can’t take the slightest criticism for themselves
Warden,
A simple “Your are right” would go a long ways here.
Right is right and wrong is wrong, you were the one caught in the act. Live up to it.
DodgerBros and AngelsFan1972,
You guys are fun. I mean this is pretty good effort, so kudos to you both!
No relation to AngelsFan1968, right?
Completely different people no doubt.
Warden
You are damn good at being wrong
So you think it’s maybe, I don’t know, just spitballing here an issue with, say skill?
Calhoun mom has a few accounts here
Did I defend his on field performance?
I will answer that…no. I did not.
My issue is I do not understand why the trolls feel the need to degrade a player.
I respect how hard and how much skill it takes to reach that level.
I have been commenting on here for a few years now and I always choose to be positive, respectful, and upbeat towards the players in the Angels organization.
I don’t …call me a fan.
– – Show me how absurd the internet is.
———A few guys are arguing over Willie Calhoun’s MLB career. Willie. Calhoun.
– – Ok, thanks. I’m good. Carry on.
Nukeg
“Show me how absurd the internet is.”
Some Walmart cashier,or whatever, feels the need to say that a guy who has played at the highest level of professional baseball in the world “sucks”
Truly absurd. I agree
Once again………
I did not defend his career.
I respect how much work, dedication, and skills it takes to get to the level he is at. I am not a make believe elitist, who mocks someone else’s career.
He’s not a good major league player, but he’s won some games and 94 wRC+ is below average, but not horrible.
Good citizen, I hope he finds his way back.
Crybaby police get over yourself it’s a forum the guy gets paid millions to do a job he stunk so what
Good for u no one cares
Kmk
I agree that Warden isn’t taking criticism well, but no reason to call them a “crybaby”.
Is there an echo in here?
Just Angels Fan 69 carrying on a conversation with his right hand
DDT
I can see knowing your thoughts is waste of my time
Goodbye
DodgersBro responding to a post directed at Angels Fan! Busted!
Wasn’t he hitting cleanup?
Which soeaks volumes to just how bad this team really is
As an Angels fan, this past series with Jays featured two of my favorites – short chubby players like Willie and Alejandro.
Does this mean Christian moore is getting called up
Christian Moore on the way
Time to trade Trout to reload the farm system and also to finally give him a chance to win a World Series on another team. Could still get 3-5 marquee prospects for Trout.
At this point you couldn’t get a 3-5 month subscription to Marquee Sports network for Trout…
@rsox at this point people should understand he has a ntc, and doesn’t want to be moved. I did see he’s open to dh’ing and moving to the corners which is progress.
Maybe it’s time for Trout to reconsider for the good of the team. What would be so terrible about being traded unless it was to the 4-6 teams nobody would want to go to?
At this point DH’ing might be the best path to keeping him healthy as it will at least limit the wear-and-tear on his body to hitting and base running.
I understand that NTC or not Trout is never getting traded, i also understand right now, today, he has no trade value. However 12981 loves to come up with the same asinine post in every Angels thread though he did suggest signing Joey Votto to a three year deal in the last thread so he changed the record for once…
mike trout is a cheapskate mega millionaire who doesn’t even tip valets/service workers and who seeks and receives attention and publicity for his very occasional pathetic $1,000 (or less) donations to charity. he is paid more than $100,000 for every day of the year, just to put those pathetic occasional donations in context. All while pretending to not want attention or publicity for it. It’s time for trout to finally do the right thing, at least in terms of the baseball team.
In that case then you should be suggesting he retire rather than keep claiming he could bring 3-5 top prospects in a trade that he would never approve, that Arte would never sign off on and that Miniasian could never conceive how to put together
@rsox it’s definitely the same troll that changes usernames, and says the same thing over and over again. kinda miss the ohtani posts. I agree he has no value, doesn’t want to leave, and he can’t be upset about the angels losing when he’s always hurt.
Really? First I’ve read about his being a cheapskate.
@edpool ignore the “number”, he’s a big time troll. He was trying to suggest Andre Ethier is a HOF player and that Mauer and Suzuki don’t deserve their inductions.
@edp007 can you trust someone that’s using their pin number for a username. I would like to see some sources.
Lost all respect for him when he publicly sided with Pujols against the team after Pujols screamed at Maddon in front of the entire team. An unbelievable move by Pujols made even worse by the fact that Maddon was giving him a huge amount of playing time despite the fact that Pujols sucked and was way below replacement level.
trout choking and falling flat on his face in the worst possible way against Ohtani with the World Championship and American prestige on the line, swinging and missing at 3 pitches, 2 of which were belt high fastballs right down the middle- while acting as the team “captain”- didn’t help either. The veneer and shine is gone.
I’d say everyone who gets in deserves it. Except Ozzie lol But there’s definitely an upper tier and a lower tier.
Saw it on a message board- a valet posted that he parked trout’s $150,000 Mercedes and trout didn’t even bother to tip.
trout complaining about his salary in 2013 (when he was already a multi-millionaire, of course), wasn’t a good look either. But Moreno then gave him the biggest salary jump of all time for a 2 year player in 2014, so I guess his whining and complaining and moping about not having even more money “achieved” something. he hasn’t been an ideal representative for the organization. A good representative, but far from an ideal representative. There have been multiple bumps in the road over the years with him.
You know you don’t need to make stuff up to post here.
Look it up. In 2013, mike trout- who was all of 21 years old at the time and already a multi-millionaire at that point and only 1 single season into his MLB career- used his agent to complain and make a big deal about the fact that he wasn’t getting even more money. The agents don’t do anything without direction/approval from the players. It was mike trout who was really complaining, not his agent. Then of course trout tried to have it both ways by pretending to shrug it off when asked about it (“my time will come”, etc)
He’s currently on one of those 4-6 teams that nobody would want to go to.
Muted
Where is the proof to these allegations? I guess he’s a rotten person when he visits sick kids in the hospital too?
This dude is a clown. All this junk is B.S. Trout derangement syndrome has been real since the rivalry between Trout and Harper started. East Coasters gonna hate I guess.
MickeyTheMod, we don’t care if you muted anyone. No need to make an announcement
Oh then it must be true because some dude truthfully posted on some internet gizmo
we’ll see how much you don’t care.
Muted
Oh no did I get muted?! How will I ever recover from this
Rsox,
Hey now, let’s not lump everyone together here! I would certainly like to have 5 months free of Marquee Sports network. I refuse to pay for that service when I should have that with my MLB network subscription.
Why get crappy infomercials and crappier studio shows on marky. Maybe if they show marky mark films. Better off w masn or the ballys
here we go……..
idiots on parade with the TRADE TROUT forum coming.
I know you were only joking 12981
@angelsfan1972 I believe it’s singular not plural.
You’re not getting 3-5 top prospects– you’re getting two and the Angels would have to pick up $10M a year for the remaining six-years. He’s 33 and barely played over the last four-years. Trout needs to be a full-time DH, so he can stay in the batter’s box. Phillies might give the Angels Andrew Painter and Crawford– maybe? Angels would save $26M a season in payroll and have two more quality prospects. And it’s better for Trout. It only happens if Trout asks to be moved– which is now highly likely.
Carlafong
You ended highly likely???
It is a 10 million to one long shot he asks for a trade, and even greater odds the Phillies take on that big of a contract. IMO
He’ll go to the Dodgers for salary relief, a useful piece like Calhoun and passes to Knot Berry farm
He has a pretty swing, but nothing else. For his lack of positional value, and tepid bat I commend him for getting this much MLB service time. He’s a couple million richer and not even 30, lucky guy!
And another “low risk high reward” Minasian garbage pick gets DFA’d. Do the Angels have ANY fitness accountability? Schwarber looks more fit than most Angels. Maybe if Trout lost a few.
If Jo Adell is leading your team in HR’s, you know you’re in trouble.
Willie Calhoun could’ve been a star if not for his late night trips to Taco Bell and the 24 hour donuts shop.
Are you saying he coulda been a contenda?
What trips? I think Taco Bell and Jack In The Box cater the Angel clubhouse and team flights. You’re supposed to lose weight over the long season not gain. The whole team is flabby. When Minasian said the team would be competitive, he meant food eating contests.
Luis Guillorme and Matt Thaiss look like they rode shotgun.
That’s FORMER YANKEES CLEANUP HITTER Willie Calhoun
Jeez, he was their cleanup hitter for a few games…
Guy hit a big homer against us earlier this year
Watching him last few nights couldn’t believe how outta shape he is. Huge stomach. Shameful
I really didn’t understand this move at first, but I can see freeing up the DH spot as being important and Willie isn’t really as productive as I thought he was. Its not like this kid they’re bringing up seems to be any better.. which begs the question, why didn’t they just wait until tomorrow and bring up Moore instead? I guess either Drury or Guillorme would be next if they did.
@kellin it’s possible they want him to play a couple games, and bring him up Saturday or Sunday.
I’m actually ok with Moore staying as long as he needs to in the minors, but its recent typical behavior for the Angels to bring up some young phenom who is over-performing there.
@kellin yeah the 18th is waivers so, Drury could be on his way out or atleast see if someone will pick him up, probably the same with Strickland. I believe if they wait around the twenties of this month moore won’t lose a year. Wouldn’t bother me if he stayed down either, but he has the coaches to develop him in the mlb.
Apparently he doesn’t get rave reviews after all. What a shame.
Not the same level of Rave Reviews that resounded for Pete O’Brien’s defense, fer sher.
No one will ever achieve the defensive rave reviews of MLBTR icon Pete O’Brien.
Soon to be a Jeopardy question to the answer “he was traded to the Texas Rangers for Yu Darvish.”
-9 replaces -10.
Dodgers will be sniffing around this pile if nobody else gets Calhoun …
So Willie Calhoun’s numbers suck but he’s not suckier than Jason Heyward and Jay Hey still has a roster spot in LA.
Why not just call up Marisnick? Better glove, has good speed, better hitter.
Why are they even bothering to make this move? It’s pointless.
Can’t disagree. Maybe a team has reached out to Calhoun’s agent and that team is wanting to add Calhoun in the event they make the post-season? Only thing I can think of besides the obvious.
sascoach, If a team reached out they must be from the far East. He would probably be a monster in Korea.
“a 21-home run season in 2019, ”
And a 110 wRC+ since the article didn’t mention that
Had high hopes when he was traded to Rangers, but then came the “if only he had put it altogether here” bittersweet goodbye every fan experiences with their team and serviceable MLB players who didn’t quite reach expectations. But he was, and is, serviceable hence the long career despite not being the star it seemed for a moment was possible. Also why he has and will move around a lot as a journeyman.
Alistair mostly agree but… I don’t see him getting many more looks. His glove is terrible and his hitting can’t make up for it. He’s basically a platoon DH who doesn’t hit enough.
Typical Angels. Now DFA Calhoun makes sense. If they were calling up, Dana. Or a young player who can actually hit. Nope they are calling up a 31 year old infielder who wouldn’t hit water, if he fell out of a boat. Now that makes 4 infielders on the major league roster, who can’t hit their weight. To go with 3 outfielders who can’t hit their weight. All I want for Christmas is for Arte to hire a real President of Baseball operations. And let that person actually run the team. Arte was fine as an owner, until trader Jerry couldn’t do what was asked of him. Then Arte started getting to involved. Let’s be real, Arte won’t put the team up For Sale, when he will get pennies on the dollar for the team
@angelsbroncosfan I think it’s signaling that moore is coming soon they can give him a couple extra days this guy is just a warm body.
I’m ok with that. But there are players already on 40 man roster, that would have made more sense. Or like I said, Dana, so I don’t have to suffer through another Davis Daniel start, where he gives up 5+ runs in 3+ innings
@angelsbroncos I rather keep Dana down in double a the rest of year, and not rush another pitcher because of need. I agree with Daniel wanted to see how he did in the bigs, and it’s not looking good.
Your post has punctuation and grammatical errors. Please resend once properly proofread.
I hate to put it this way but I want to be direct: Calhoun looks fatter every year. Definitely needs to take care of his health if he wants back in the league.
It’s his thyroid.
The are meds for that.
Calhoun has a 93 OPS+ in the big leagues this year while Lopez has a 86 OPS+ in AAA and also older than Calhoun. Calhoun has had more success in the big leagues than Lopez as well. What is the point of this transaction again? Better odds for landing the top pick in 2025?
Hahaha.