The Angels and reliever Nick Sandlin are in agreement on a minor league contract with an invitation to major league spring training, reports Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register. The right-hander is represented by the Ballengee Group.
Sandlin, 29, has pitched in parts of four big league seasons, primarily suiting up for the Guardians. Cleveland shipped him to Toronto as part of last offseason’s Andrés Giménez swap, however. Sandlin wound up pitching only 16 1/3 innings with the Jays, as a lat strain and elbow inflammation led him to spend the bulk of the season on the injured list. Toronto designated him for assignment following the season — effectively non-tendering him — rather than paying a projected $2MM in arbitration (courtesy of MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz).
Prior to that injury-marred Jays run, Sandlin was a quality member of the Cleveland bullpen. From 2021-24, he pitched 195 1/3 innings with a tidy 3.27 earned run average, a 27.7% strikeout rate and a 43.6% ground-ball rate. That walk rate is well north of league-average, but Sandlin’s strikeout rate was strong and his grounder rate was a hair better than par.
Sandlin has never been a hard thrower, but the 91.4 mph he averaged on his four-seamer last year and the 91.8 mph he averaged on his sinker were both career-low marks. That’s not necessarily surprising, given that a pair of arm injuries creates a pretty good chance he wasn’t pitching at 100% (or all that close to it) when he did take the mound. Sandlin’s huge 14.8% swinging-strike rate from 2025 (again, small-sample caveats apply) was also outstanding.
Sandllin has 4.157 years of major league service time. If he spends even 15 days on the Angels’ major league roster or injured list, he’ll reach five years of service. That’s still not enough to become a free agent — unless he’s non-tendered — so if he pitches well, the Angels will have control over him for not only the 2026 season but also the 2027 campaign.
There should be room in the Anaheim bullpen for Sandlin to grab a spot if he pitches well during spring training or perhaps early in the season with Triple-A Salt Lake. Robert Stephenson, Kirby Yates, Drew Pomeranz and Jordan Romano are all locked into spots, and out-of-options righty Chase Silseth probably has a place locked down as well. That’d leave three spots for some combination of Ryan Zeferjahn, Jose Fermin, Cody Laweryson, Sam Bachman and a handful of veteran non-roster invitees (Sandlin, Miguel Castro, Angel Perdomo, Tayler Saucedo). The Halos will probably add some more arms to the spring competition before long, but Sandlin gives them another talented arm on which to roll the dice.
Good get for LAA. Sandlin should have been a Twins target.
Another hope and prayer signing.
Good job. Counting on depth to win. Hope it works for the Halos.
It’s been a 20-year experiment, but maybe this is the year!
Good signing. I wish the Guards could have brought him back.
While the Halos may not compete for the WS this year, there’s going to be a great competition in Spring Training to make the roster!
Sandlin good.
Hopefully Happy Gilmore Sandlin and not Little Nicky Sandlin or Jack and Jill
Walk in music as the bullpen door opens and out emerges this lad: Enter Sandlin. Do it Angels!!
Good.
I did some research on Nick Sandlin
29-year-old sidearmer with a funky delivery, not a lot of velocity,but has a nasty sinker, and a sweeping slider that eats up righties.
But did have some arm issues, if he’s healthy, this could be a sneaky good move.
And one more thing Arte Moreno, don’t bother showing up to Tempe or Anaheim unless you’re ready to act like an owner who wants to win. We’re tired of the Bull-💩 Tired of the silence. The Angels fans are watching you
This a good signing, I was hoping my Reds would have made this move. We could use the experienced depth at AAA.
Let’s add the latest moves to our review the Angels and Perry MORONassian ‘s absolutely pathetic off season. Can we all say it is a carbon copy of the last three
✅ Trade an established major league hitter with 37 home runs for a pitcher that was a top prospect at one time coming off major arm injuries the last two years and is a huge question mark
✅ Sign a pitcher that was fantastic two years ago. Then forgot how to pitch had major arm injuries and is on his third team in 6 months
✅ Sign a one time highly touted prospect with ties to the braves who cannot hit major league pitching
✅ Sign two pitchers for the bullpen that were both great 6 years ago that will both he DFA candidates by the all star break
✅ Sign a pitcher who is out of options who only has 56 innings of mlb experience and walks to many hitters
✅ Sign a pitcher who was very good before the pandemic then had arm issues and was so bad in the minor he was forced to pitch overseas and wait for it with ties to the Braves
✅ Trade for a middle infielder who at one time could hit but injuries set in and he has not hit above .190 in three years. And guess what. With ties to the braves
✅ Sign a 39 year old reliever who watched his era balloon over five and has hardly pitched due to arm and back problems.
✅ Rendon well SMH LOL 🤮 good riddance. Sums that one up
✅ Hire your fourth manager in five seasons who has not managed a game in little league let alone the minors or the show and give him a one year deal.
✅ Be alleged in on Okamoto a player that said naw I’m good I am gonna sing with a team that is worse than yours because they actually have a direction and are improving
✅ allegedly be in on Nolan Arenado a third baseman that was good four years ago and cannot hit now and his current team is so desperate to get rid of the money. He would be this years Jorge Soler
✅Miss out on another player from Japan who said no I think I will go play third for a team that just came off a World Series appearance
✅ Sign a left handed reliever who was good at one time and then in typical Angel player requirement got hurt and had his career completely implode
✅Claim an outfielder off waivers who has 69 plate in four plus seasons of pro ball and hit .232 at the mlb level but it’s a hand me down from Moronnassian’s brother
✅ Sign another former highly touted prospect who is on his third team in two seasons. The kid can actually make contact and not strike out but in typical Angels fashion coming of a major injury
✅ Sign a reliever who has never had an era under 4.00 and has bounced between triple A and the majors. His velocity is down and walked 12% of his hitters. Shock in true Angels fashion coming off major knee issues
✅ Trade one of the better young relief arms for a corner outfielder coming off a .220 season and struck out 106 times in 396 at bats. And get this. Has a long history of injuries He is Taylor Ward with less power and is always hurt.
✅ Re-sign a third baseman who missed more than half the season in Angels fashion due to injuries and has a long track record of being hurt He only hit .236 and strikes out 28% of his plate appearances. Oh and he needs to sit if there is a lefty on the mound
✅ Sign a once good power hitter six years ago who is now 34 and has not played in a MLB game in 2 1/2 years to a minor league deal. (I am rooting for him) who plays a position we are already set He put up numbers in the second most hitter friendly park in all of triple A
✅ Sign a soft tossing reliever who was decent up until 2024 then in true Angles fashion is coming of a long stint on the IL with arm problems and was DFA’ed off the roster
✅ lose your local tv contract (not your fault) so now MLB and ESPN can price gouge us to watch games Remember in the before time when all the games were on KTLA.
To quote a recent ESPN article a clueless GM making signings that would’ve been all great moves in 2022. Moronassian could run the Angels into the ground in franchise mode on MLB the Show on Xbox
Yet still have not filled the holes of CF,3B( sort of) back of the rotation, closer and anyone that can hit above .230
With the two moves today I am going to up our loss totals
The quest for 105 losses in in full effect
Can’t wait to wear my paper bag over my head at home games
Operation extreme redundancy is almost complete
Love ya Perry and Artie
Signed
An extremely satisfied fan