April 20: Lopez has elected free agency, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post.
April 18: The Angels announced that shortstop Zach Neto has been reinstated from the injured list. It was reported yesterday that Neto was likely to be reinstated for this weekend. In a corresponding move, infielder Nicky Lopez has been designated for assignment.
Lopez, 30, signed with the Halos just before Opening Day. He had signed a minor league deal with the Cubs in the winter but opted out of that pact when he wasn’t going to break camp with the Cubbies.
For the Angels, they were looking to cover up for a number of infield injuries. Neto underwent shoulder surgery in November and was going to miss the early portions of the 2025 season. Third baseman Anthony Rendon required hip surgery in February and is going to be out of action for a while. To help fill in the infield depth, the club brought in Lopez, Yoán Moncada, Tim Anderson, Kevin Newman and J.D. Davis. Moncada has also been hurt and is currently on the IL due to a thumb sprain.
Despite all of the injuries, Lopez hasn’t really received any playing time. He has six plate appearances across five games, not reaching base in any of them. Anderson had taken over the shortstop position. He didn’t hit much but his glovework received decent grades in his small sample of work. With Neto’s return, he’ll be downgraded into a bench role anyhow. Luis Rengifo is holding down third while Kyren Paris is having a breakout, taking over the second base position while hitting .326/.426/.717.
Lopez already seemed somewhat superfluous on the roster, with Neto’s return squeezing him out even further. The Angels will now technically have a week of DFA limbo time to figure out what’s next, but Lopez has enough service time to reject an outright assignment, so he seems likely to be a free agent within a week’s time.
Generally speaking, he’s been a light-hitting glove-first infielder in his career. He has a .247/.311/.313 batting line in 2,352 big league plate appearances, with that line translating to a 73 wRC+. Reviews on his shortstop glovework are mixed as he has -11 Defensive Runs Saved but 33 Outs Above Average. He also has lots of experience at the other infield positions with good marks there, and some brief left field work as well.
Photo courtesy of Troy Taormina, Imagn Images
Sooo many good choices, but Lopez seemed like the most obvious.
That’s who I figured would go.
Newman is now the lowest hanging fruit on the roster.
Newman is guaranteed 2.5 million. If it is a coin toss, contracts do come into play when such decisions are made.
The Angels best player is back. It is the natural that the guy getting paid the least and seeing the least playing time is the first to go. Neto will be getting most the playing time. Anderson will get the Newman play time and Newman will get the Lopez playing time.
Welcome back Zach. On your first day back you get to face Logan Webb. Good luck.
2021 will be a season Lopez will always remember
players with no power have little room for slumps.
Holy smokes, no kidding. Just looked at his career numbers. Lopez has done pretty well to have lasted as long in baseball as he has
He didn’t get enough opportunity to slump.
How does TA still have a job? Would he be employed if his manager was not Ron Washington?
You don’t watch Angel games. If you had been, you wouldn’t be asking that question.
Just look at the relay yesterday. That’s one small example.
A relay? A basic baseball play a competent professional should know how to do before high school? Is the other small example his robust hitting or his self-proclaimed nickname? Please enlighten us with a real reason he still has a major league job.
You didn’t watch the play. Actually it’s not. You can go a month without seeing it executed as well as that. I seldom see players catch and throw that accurately with that velocity with such limited glove time.
And that was only one play.
I think Halo is referring to Andersons defense thus far in ’25. In limited playing time, Anderson has posted 4 OAA making him one of the best defenders in the game according to Statcast. On the flipside, you’re probably referring to Andersons offense where he is significantly below MLB average over his past 800+ PAs in SO%, BB%, EV, HH%, LD%, GB% and FB%.
And I gave that one play as an example. So he either doesn’t know baseball, or didn’t see the play.
The Angels have played 18 games, and that was by far their best executed play of the season.
And the two best plays, excluding that play, were made by Anderson. They are doubling down on their ignorance. They could have at least watched it.
Tim Anderson is a baseball player who is in steep decline.
Sure is, but he’s playing very good defense and the Angels had another player to drop. That’s why he still has a job.
Davis and Anderson are on the short list when Moncada comes back.
@halos11fan. Yeah it came down to defense, because the offense cancels out. Anderson does some small things well, and is probably going to play once a week, so it doesn’t matter. He did say he wanted to go to the angels to work on his defense.
And yet so many don’t finish off “basic” baseball plays. Blame it on finishing school, blame it on Gen Z. Something to be said for old school fundamentals and muscle memory in critical situations
I don’t think its about defense. Nicky Lopez is far better fielder than Tim Anderson. I don’t think TA will be getting a ton of playing time if neto, rengifo, and paris are healthy. I guessing he plays two games a week.
He has good speed as well. If you seen the game he beat out a force play at 2nd to load the bases though the Angels did end up losing the game, it did give them a chance. This type of hustle can be a good example for the younger guys.
TA can be a late inning pinch runner. He can also serve as a mentor to Neto., Paris.
TA has always hustled and been a lead by example guy. As you note, not a bad vet to have around the clubhouse, brings a lot of energy. Sure, on the wrong side of 30, but who among us hasn’t been caught on the wrong side of 30 once or thrice
Not sure what you’re inferring there; Wash would play a personal favorite over the good of the team? Tim will probably be gone soon, but I prefer him over Newman.
Angels losing a valuable reliever in Nicky Lopez.
Crucial for all those times you’re down to the White Sox 9-1
TA is zero at the plate but so is Lopez. Obviously the Angels are hoping TA rebounds some at the plate however his best days are now five plus years ago. It’s hard to believe this man was a batting champion and earned a silver slugger as well. He looks way overmatched at the plate now. His skills evaporated overnight.
The Angels pitchers don’t strike anyone out. Neto may be healthy, may not be.
It’s about his defense, at this point I don’t think anyone thinks he will hit. He was batting 9th for a reason.
LOL. Hindsight, etc.
Translation please?
Yeah all happens to everyone unless you’re onn the juice like the Big Phoni. I used to be the fastest cat in the typing pool and a mean flautist but once I turned 30, all downhill
Neto can definitely hit. Now that Neto is back, Anderson only needs to play defense at this juncture.
@redstitch. Yeah it doesn’t matter. Plus maybe they could trade newman for a broken vending machine. Who’s better newman or Anderson. It probably comes down to a decimal point. 3 million is crazy for a team that needs a shortstop. If Anderson sucks we probably have the same player in kingery.
Have fun in japan!!!
Third baseman Anthony Rendon required hip surgery in February and is going to be out of action for a millennium or two.
Looks like the umpires got the memo, on balls and strikes this year. That is “ favor the angels”
HAHAHHAHHA one missed call and it’s “favor the Angels”???? Why on earth would MLB want that? They have their darlings in the Dodgers and Yankees? What a trash take.
I wouldn’t mind having him on the Cardinals for depth!!
Nicky come back to Naperville. 16″ softball beckons. Nicky’s pops is a Chicago softball legend
Angels need a center fielder. Not the two bozos they platoon out there
@mr. Drew. Who’s the two bozos adell and himself.
This didn’t age well.
Yeah. Defensive liability though
Not really. Stat cast has him in the upper 2/3 of CF.
He made one bad throw.
Not really? The guys been in and out with the team for years! Home run off his head, remember that? Picking up a single to center and throwing it to an empty left field the other day. Yeah I don’t think so bud
That was four years ago during a season with no minor league games.
He’s been an adequate outfielder for several years and is doing pretty darn well in CF, especially considering it’s his fist year out there.
Yeah well I hope he gets better and doesn’t fall asleep out there again
In 2000, he had never played in a double deck stadium, hadn’t played since spring training, and couldn’t pick up the ball.
He was very open about that. After the first two months of his second year, he has turned into a more than adequate outfielder, but every time he makes a mistake, people bring up 2000.
All major league players make bad plays….All of them.
Obviously you’re a huge fan. I hope it works out for both of you 🙂
Full disclosure. I like Adell. Especially as a person.
But until he stops chasing, and improves his zone contact…he’s not going to be an average major league players.
But his defense has been fine. He’s adequate.
Back to the White Sox. He’d be a n upgrade on Amaya, who is hitting .095.
You’re not wrong, but the Sox are moving from hysterically bad to just bad so may be beyond a Nicky reunion. The additions of Meidroth and Quero already having an impact. If Teel, Elko or Colson have a similar impact, lookout twinkies.
Decent defensive replacement. 47 OAA for this career.