The Angels are in agreement with Nick Madrigal on a minor league contract, reports Robert Murray of FanSided. The Wasserman client gets a non-roster invite to big league camp.
Madrigal spent the entire 2025 season on the injured list. He’d signed a $1.35MM free agent deal with the Mets to compete for a utility job. Madrigal broke his left shoulder when he stumbled while fielding a ground ball during Spring Training. He underwent surgery and was immediately ruled out for the year. The Mets dropped him from the roster at the beginning of the offseason.
A former fourth overall pick by the White Sox, Madrigal hasn’t lived up to that high draft billing. He’s one of the most difficult players in the game to strike out, but he hits the ball with very little impact. The 5’7″ infielder has a career .274/.323/.344 slash line with four home runs in parts of five seasons.
Madrigal enters his age-29 season looking to play his way back to the majors. There’s a decent chance to do so with the Halos. Christian Moore struck out in a third of his plate appearances and hit .198/.284/.370 as a rookie. Denzer Guzman had worrisome strikeout numbers in the minors. They’ve taken fliers on former top prospects Vaughn Grissom and Oswald Peraza, neither of whom has had any kind of MLB success. It’s one of the weakest second/third base groups in the league. Madrigal can play either position, though his below-average arm fits better on the right side.
I don’t expect much out of Grissom, but I’d say his 2022 debut was pretty successful.
What the hell are the Angels doing? This looks like a team that’s not interested in competing.
I made the comment speculating about the TV deal affecting the payroll, but man it’s looking more and more like it, with them not signing any high-profile players this off-season.
They’re doing the same thing they do every offseason. They acquire one starting pitcher early on to drum up hype and then do not much else the rest of the offseason. Then they win 74 games.
I would be happy with 74 wins. With this garbage team they will lose 1oo games this year.
Hopefully selling. I did a piece for On SI and their actual cash payroll currently sits $80ish million less than last year’s.
If not selling, they are in a horrible spot.
When I was young the Dodgers and Angels were my baseball teams. When Arte took over it was a splash and I thought it was going to be awesome. A could big swings and misses were excused because he was new and learning. Then it just went badly from there.
I don’t drink beer so lower beer costs don’t bring me to the park. Winning teams do. I have barely followed them due to organizational incompetence for quite a long time. Hoping they something changes for the positive in their approach.
For the record, I have always liked the Dodgers more. They were my NL team and the California Angels were my Al team.
Smart man, staying away from the suds.
@halosheavenjj. 50 million for the loss revenue on the tv deal. The 30 million is the skaggs settlement and to fix the ac unit. The rest doesn’t concern me (atleast the same results)but atleast sign Bader for centerfield. You should be able to flip him if it’s a one year deal.
The skaggs deal isn’t costing Arte anything. Everything I’ve heard settling out of court gave them the option to use insurance money. It’d only have come out of his pocket if the jury decided there was liability.
We are all optimistic in different ways. I truly hope this is the beginning of the end of Moreno and the entire Angels brass.
This is a last place team and the only people who will say it’s not are the people in the broadcast booth trying to sell baseball stadium food as fine cuisine.
There’s also the Skaggs settlement which could be a factor. And Moore did do better when he was recalled late in the year. But it’s getting late to improve this team.
But now, they don’t have to spend all that money on Bregman or Bichette.
David Fletcher 2.0
Or Eckstein 2.0
I think the Angels would be thrilled if Magrigal turned into Eckstein 2.0. Eck had a really successful four year run in Anaheim, averaging 3.25 WAR a season.
Bats left handed, doesn’t strike out much. Geez
right handed.
Madrigal is a good example of why If I’m drafting a bat in the first round, especially the top ten, I want a power bat. Extremely difficult to put up an above average wrc when you have no power.
Agreed. I’m suspicious of players that need to hit over .350 to have a slugging over .500 in college. His bb rates in college weren’t that impressive and it’s not like he’s a high school prospect that is still growing. Do they honestly think players like him would remain a .325+ hitter all the way up to MLB? For every Hoerner and Arraez (has his own issues) there’s dozens that wash out.
The other thing about power is it usually doesn’t fade as players get older. All things being equal, bats that hit 30HR in their twenties will still hit 30 in their thirties whereas batting average almost always declines with age. I think most scouts know this and so most of the available power bats are off the board when you get to the 5th/6th round.
It’s just crazy imho to take a guy 4th overall with 30 grade power. You better be certain you’re getting an Ichiro or a Tony Gwynn right there.
For sure. Even if the power wanes as they lose bat speed, they can at least become less aggressive and be more patient at the plate. A player like Madrigal can’t make that type of adjustment. Crazy madrigal was 20 picks ahead of Hoerner. Also 86 picks before Cal Raleigh.
This Angles are now the Land of Broken Relievers and Middle Infielders. With this payroll it sure looks like Arte is looking to sell. Either that, or he’s eliminating payroll to get his net profit high enough to offset the loss or revenue on this pos roster.
With Brady Anderson on the staff I expect Madrigal to see his power numbers jump exponentially.
I heard prior to his 80-game PED suspension, Max Kepler wanted to join the Angels because he could do all of his shopping in the Locker Room. Why do you think Brady Anderson was hired. He will help the club perform much better in 2026 with his own version of BALCO. Max would be able to one-stop shop for Anabolic Steroids, his favorite stimulant, Clenbuterol, Tamoxifen and the reliable HGH, while saving on shipping charges.
Really liked Madrigal as a college player.
It hasn’t panned out, but he’s not going to block anyone at AAA so take the small chance.
Small being the keyword here. He’s about as tall as an oompa loompa.
Another injury prone acquisition. Maybe some upside with this guy but who knows with our player development. I don’t care about hitting for power as long as he gets on base. Could be a good lead-off guy from the left side like Brett Butler (if they develop him properly and don’t rush him back to the majors.
He’s 29 years old. You want the team to develop him? The ship has sailed for this. With the injuries he’s had it’s doubtful he will be anything more than a utility infielder. A 26th man.
Probably right, however, he’s shown a decent BA so might have potential to get a bit more out of him. Might be misplaced hope, but we’ll see.
Right handed
You’re right. My bad. The article doesn’t say but “gold master” commented above that he bats left. I should have vetted his statement.
If this guy is your leadoff hitter you’re in big trouble.
Let’s continue 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
✅ Sing two pitchers for the bullpen that were both great 6 years ago that will both he DFA candidates by the all star break
✅ Sing a pitcher who is out of options who only has 56 innings of mlb experience and walks to many hitters
✅ Sing 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
✅ Sing 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
✅ Sing 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 mob 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
✅ 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
Yet still have not filled the holes of CF,3B, Lf, back up catcher back of the rotation, closer and anyone that can hit above .230
The quest for 100 losses in in full effect
Can’t wait to wear my paper bag over my head at home games
Operation extreme redundancy is moving along beautifully
Love ya Perry and Artie
They should do more signing and less singing.
Trading Ward was a big oof. This team is never afraid to spend money except when it comes to retaining talent. Outside of Trout when was the last time they gave someone a contract extension? Ward is a beast and they should’ve kept him. Trout, Neto, Ward is a solid middle order and if you throw in a Kyle Tucker to balance that out then all of a sudden you’re cooking.
Ward was going to be gone at the end of 2026 anyway. That trade was a positive for the Angels.
The Angels Are Broke and Arte’s to Blame
Let’s stop pretending. The Angels aren’t spending because they can’t. No cable deal. No Bally Sports. No streaming partner. No money.
Bally Sports West is bankrupt. Arte Moreno didn’t secure a new TV contract. That’s $100 million in lost revenue gone. And without that cash, there’s no budget for free agents, no upgrades, no hope.
Meanwhile, Arte’s still hiding in the shadows. No press conferences. No plan. Just silence while the franchise crumbles.
We’re not just broke—we’re invisible. No big free agent signings No spending. No way to watch the games. Arte Moreno has officially run this team into the ground.
Nicky Bats gets a 2026 paycheck and I couldn’t be happier. Ok..sure, he’s not much of a hitter, but he can play defense, run the bases, has a good baseball IQ, and is a pretty decent human. Also, he’s had some weird injury issues in his career. At best, he’s a solid backup INF on a team going nowhere for the foreseeable future, and at worst, he’s not blocking anyone else in the Angels system.
So is this the end of the MADRIGAL SINGERS?
Doesn’t strike out and can field his position.
Doesn’t walk and has no power.
Typical Angels crap
White Sox Legend! Aka Nicky Two Strikes!
Madrigal was one of the best college players I have ever seen. Before his injury with the whitesox I can confidently say everyone thought he was on his way to be the league leaders in hits for years to come. Then he was traded for Kimberl, and something happened to him after that trade. It’s funny, if you were to ask me back then I would have said Madrigal was on his way to stardom. Now he’s fighting for a triple A spot.
Realistically if he’s healthy I would expect him to go back to his high average low OPS form for them. Good depth signing for sure.
GM Perry, Minasian signs Nick Madrigal to minor league deal with the Halos.
Hey, at least this one hits 250. That’s practically All-Star material in our current talent pool.
Between Madrigal, Tayler Saucedo, and Donovan “Mendoza Line” Walton, the Angels are quietly assembling the most overqualified Triple-A roster in baseball. Salt Lake? Nah this is Anaheim’s new farm to table strategy.
If the big club falters, don’t worry. The Bees are just a shuttle ride away.
Hey LolAngels: he bad