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Juan Lagares

Juan Lagares Signs With KBO’s SSG Landers

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Free agent outfielder Juan Lagares has signed with the SSG Landers of the Korea Baseball Organization, the team announced (h/t to Jeeho Yoo of Yonhap News). The ACES client will be paid $495K for the remainder of the season.

It’s the first professional trip outside North America for Lagares, who has spent the past 16 years in the affiliated ranks. The 33-year-old has suited up with the Mets and Angels for 850 games in the major leagues. A Gold Glove caliber center fielder early in his career, he earned regular playing time on the strength of his glove for a good chunk of his stint in Queens.

Over the past few seasons, Lagares has settled in as a depth outfielder in the majors. His defensive metrics have tailed off and he’s posted well below-average numbers at the plate in each of the past two seasons. Lagares hit .236/.266/.372 through 327 plate appearances with the Halos last year. He returned on a minor league deal over the winter and earned another big league look in late May. After a disappointing 20-game showing, the Angels designated him for assignment last month. He cleared outright waivers and hit free agency, and he’ll now join a Landers team that has the KBO’s best record (52-26).

In a corresponding move, the Landers are releasing first baseman Kevin Cron. The former Diamondback spent the 2021 season in Japan and made the move to South Korea on a $750K contract last offseason. He’s struggled to a .222/.255/.420 line across 259 trips to the plate. While he’s hit 11 home runs and flashed some of the power potential he showed in the minor leagues, his on-base deficiencies mounted to the point the team decided to move on. The 29-year-old will be a free agent.

That also seems as if it’ll be true for veteran starter Iván Nova. Yoo adds the Landers are seeking a replacement for the 35-year-old righty, who signed for $900K over the winter. Nova has been tagged for a 6.50 ERA through 12 starts, only striking out 11% of the batters he’s faced. Yoo notes that various injuries could have played a part in that underperformance, but the club will look for an alternative nevertheless. An 11-year MLB veteran, Nova hasn’t pitched in the majors since 2020. KBO teams are permitted to carry two foreign-born pitchers on their rosters, so the Landers seem likely to look for a new option to pair with Wilmer Font, who is having an excellent season.

Juan Lagares Elects Free Agency

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Outfielder Juan Lagares has elected free agency after clearing waivers and being designated for assignment by the Angels last week, per the organization. With more than five years of service time under his belt the 33-year-old Lagares had the right to reject his outright assignment to the minors and head to the free agent market instead.

The Halos signed Lagares to a minor league pact in May, the second consecutive offseason deal Lagares agreed to with the team. In a brief taste of Triple-A at-bats this season the centerfielder hit .308/.379/.462, but since being called up in late May he has hit just .183/.210/.250 (31 OPS+) as part of a strong Angels outfield.

With souring (but still league average-ish) defensive metrics and speed, the former Met farmhand is best suited for fourth outfielder duty at this stage in his career. With center field playability on his side it seems likely another organization will take a flyer on Lagares as bench or upper minors depth in the coming days.

Angels Designate Juan Lagares For Assignment

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Angels outfielder Juan Lagares has been designated for assignment, per an announcement from the team. His spot on the active and 40-man rosters will go to fellow outfielder Monte Harrison, whose contract has been selected from Triple-A Salt Lake.

Selected to the big league roster late last month for his second stint with the Halos, Lagares has appeared in 20 games this year but managed only a .183/.210/.250 batting line. While he’s always been a defensive-minded outfielder, Lagares’ production at the plate has taken a major downturn over the past several seasons; dating back to the 2019 campaign, he carries a .222/.267/.341 output in 674 trips to the plate.

The Angels will have a week to trade Lagares, pass him through outright waivers or release him. He’d have the ability to reject an outright assignment to Salt Lake if he clears waivers.

Harrison, 26, once rated as one of the best outfield prospects in all of baseball. One of four players traded from Milwaukee to Miami in the lopsided Christian Yelich blockbuster, he made his MLB debut in 2020 but has yet to make much of an impact in the big leagues, where he’s batted .175/.230/.263 in a tiny sample of 62 plate appearances.

Harrison’s prospect sheen began to fade as he faced mounting strikeout concerns in the upper minors. He’s fanned in a whopping 35.1% of his plate appearances at the Triple-A level, including exactly 35% of his 200 trips to the plate this season. Harrison is only hitting .213/.305/.368 in Salt Lake this season, but he’s nevertheless gone 20-for-23 in stolen base attempts and will bring some speed, defense and a right-handed bat to the Angels’ bench. Scouting reports on Harrison, at his peak, praised his plus raw power, but he’s never topped 21 home runs in a single season.

Angels Select Juan Lagares, Designate Mike Mayers

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The Angels announced that they have selected the contract of outfielder Juan Lagares. In a corresponding move, right-hander Mike Mayers has been designated for assignment.

After spending his entire big league career with the Mets, Lagaras joined a new organization for the first time last year, signing a minor league deal with the Angels. He ended up getting into 112 games for the Halos last year, hitting .236/.266/.372 for a 71 wRC+. Generally regarded as a glove-first player, that production was just a bit below his career batting line of .252/.293/.363, 80 wRC+. The 33-year-old signed another minors deal with the Angels just over two weeks ago and has played seven games for Triple-A Salt Lake Bees, hitting .308/.379/.462 in that time.

The club has a strong regular outfield mix of Mike Trout, Brandon Marsh and Taylor Ward. However, Ward has been sidelined recently after colliding with the outfield wall while making a catch. Over his first 30 games, he was hitting out of his mind to the tune of .370/.481/.713 for an absurd 245 wRC+. But he hasn’t played since May 20 because of soreness in his neck/shoulder area that resulted from that collision. Tyler Wade has been getting some starts in right field recently to cover for Ward, though he’s far more experienced on the infield in his career and hasn’t hit much this season. The Angels will hope that Lagares can provide better coverage until Ward can return to regular action. Manager Joe Maddon tells reporters, including Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com, that Ward still can’t play the outfield but isn’t going on the IL because he could still come into a game as a pinch hitter.

As for Mayers, 30, he was drafted by the Cardinals and ended up seeing big league action with them in four seasons, from 2016 to 2019. However, he never got much of an extended look, logging more than 20 innings in only one of those campaigns. After being claimed by the Angels, he had an excellent showing in the shortened 2020 season, throwing 30 innings with a 2.10 ERA, 35.5% strikeout rate, 7.4% walk rate and 32.8% ground ball rate. Last year, he wasn’t able to sustain that over a full season but still had a good year, throwing 75 innings with a 3.84 ERA, 28.6% ERA, 8.3% walk rate and 37% grounder rate. Unfortunately, things have gotten worse this year, with Mayers sitting on an ERA of 5.40 through his first 16 2/3 innings and his strikeout rate collapsing to 18.7%.

Despite those poor results on the season so far, opposing teams could be interested in his services based on his success in prior seasons. He also came into this year with four years and twenty days of service time, meaning a team that adds him to their roster could retain him for next season via arbitration. Mayers and the Angels avoided arbitration for 2022 by agreeing to a $2.15MM salary.

Angels Re-Sign Juan Lagares To Minors Contract

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The Angels announced that outfielder Juan Lagares has been signed to a new minor league deal.  The former Gold Glove winner will report to Anaheim’s Triple-A affiliate.

Lagares also signed a minors deal with the Halos prior to last season, and ended up seeing quite a bit of action at the big league level.  Lagares hit .236/.266/.372 over 327 plate appearances and 112 games in 2021, and defensive metrics were a little split on Lagares’ glovework — +2 Defensive Runs Saved and +1 Outs Above Average for his 784 1/3 outfield innings, but a -1 UZR/150.

Long known as an outstanding defender, Lagares can provide depth at all three outfield positions, and might not spend too much time in the minors.  Los Angeles has a starting trio of Mike Trout, Taylor Ward, and Brandon Marsh, with rookie Aaron Whitefield just called up today to work as the fourth outfielder.  With Jo Adell still working things out in the minors, Lagares provides a more experienced option to Whitefield should the rookie not be ready for MLB action.  Lagares and Whitefield are both right-handed hitters, so they could spell the left-handed hitting Marsh when a southpaw is on the mound.

Should Lagares reach the Angels’ active roster, it will mark a 10th big league season for the 33-year-old.  Lagares spent the first eight of those seasons with the Mets, usually working as a backup or platoon outfielder but also getting some time as the everyday center fielder.  Lagares caught on with the Angels last winter, and re-entered the free agent market back in November.

Angels Place Anthony Rendon On Injured List, Designate Ben Rowen

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The Angels announced a series of roster moves in advance of this evening’s game against the Rays. Star third baseman Anthony Rendon is headed back to the 10-day injured list with a left knee contusion. Reliever Mike Mayers has been reinstated from the COVID IL, while fellow right-hander Ben Rowen was designated for assignment. Outfielders Juan Lagares and Taylor Ward have been recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake, while righty James Hoyt was optioned.

This will be Rendon’s second trip to the IL this season. The 30-year-old missed about two weeks in April due to a left groin strain. After returning for seven games, Rendon is knocked out of action again, this time by a balky knee. On the plus side, the team says an MRI today revealed no issues (via Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times), so it seems there’s reason to hope Rendon can return in relatively short order.

While the pair of injuries has made for a frustrating start to the season for Rendon, he’s again been very productive when healthy. Over his first 66 plate appearances, the two-time Silver Slugger award winner has hit .276/.348/.466 with three homers. That’s not quite the star-level offense he put up from 2017-20, but it’s still well above average. During Rendon’s last IL stint, Los Angeles leaned mostly on José Rojas and Jack Mayfield at the hot corner. The latter has since been lost on waivers to the Mariners, but Rojas looks primed for another shot after struggling the first time.

Ward also has some experience at third base, although he worked exclusively in the outfield last season. The former catcher hit .214/.283/.351 from 2019-20. He’s now in line for his first MLB work this year. Infielder Phil Gosselin was also selected to the MLB roster this week and could be an option. Lagares, who can play anywhere in the outfield, is back after going hitless in seven plate appearances early in the season.

The Angels also shuffled up the bullpen. Mayers went on the COVID IL Monday but was always expected back quickly. His return will bump Rowen from the 40-man roster. The latter, who returned to the majors this season for the first time since 2016, pitched in eight games for the Halos. Over 11 1/3 innings, he was tagged for eight runs (seven earned) on 12 hits. He struck out only eight and issued a pair of walks.

Angels Notes: Odorizzi, Injuries, Rodriguez

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The Angels’ offseason search for pitching help led them to Jose Quintana and Alex Cobb in the rotation, as well as Raisel Iglesias, Tony Watson, Steve Cishek, Alex Claudio, Junior Guerra and Aaron Slegers in the bullpen. That’s a considerable amount of turnover on its own, but right-hander Jake Odorizzi revealed during last night’s broadcast that the Halos made a strong run at him in free agency as well. The Angels, according to Odorizzi, “were one of the teams that talked to us pretty much from start to finish” (Twitter link via Jack Harris of the L.A. Times). Odorizzi, of course, went on to sign with the division-rival Astros, pushing them right up against the luxury-tax threshold and prompting them to cut Cishek loose from a minor league deal he’d signed with Houston — despite a solid spring effort. Cishek latched on with the Halos on a big league deal and has been solid thus far through his first seven relief appearances. Odorizzi has struggled a bit after signing late, but the fact that he’s punched out 11 of the 36 hitters he’s faced (30.6%) and walked just three (8.3%) is encouraging.

Some more notes on the Halos…

  • Manager Joe Maddon said after last night’s game that he expects injured outfielder Juan Lagares and catcher Max Stassi to rejoin the club this weekend (Twitter link via Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register). Lagares has been out since April 11 due to a calf strain, while Stassi hit the IL two days later owing to a thumb injury. Maddon added that he expects third baseman Anthony Rendon, out since the 11th himself due to a groin strain, to return to the club early next week during the Angels’ series against the Rangers. The 30-year-old Rendon has been nothing short of brilliant since signing his seven-year deal; in 60 games as an Angel, he’s slashed a hearty .286/.413/.482 with 10 homers, 11 doubles, a triple, 43 walks and just 38 strikeouts through 269 plate appearances.
  • Rookie right-hander Chris Rodriguez is expected to remain in the bullpen for the 2021 season, writes MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger, but his early work has reinforced the organization’s belief that he can be an impact starter in the future. “He’s a strike-thrower and he can get quick outs by challenging hitters with that fastball and force them to beat it into the ground,” says Maddon of Rodriguez. “You can see him becoming a frontline starter. It gives me a lot to think about now that I’ve seen it.” Rodriguez has indeed been impressive thus far. The 22-year-old has held opponents to four runs on eight hits and six walks in 10 1/3 innings while racking up 14 strikeouts. The command could obviously stand to improve, but Rodriguez is also boasting a whopping 64% ground-ball rate thanks to his power sinker. Hitters have seemingly had a tough time reading the ball out of his hand, too, as evidenced by a 23.4% called-strike rate that ranks fifth among all pitchers (min. 10 innings pitched). Maddon noted that Rodriguez could eventually see late-inning work this year, though for the time being he’s providing ample value in a multi-inning role.

Angels Make Handful Of Roster Moves

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The Angels have selected outfielder Jon Jay from their alternate site and placed outfielder Dexter Fowler on the 60-day injured list, the team announced. In other moves, the Angels placed catcher Max Stassi (left thumb sprain) and outfielder Juan Lagares (calf) on the 10-day IL, and they recalled backstop Anthony Bemboom.

The 36-year-old, whom the Angels signed to a minor league contract before the season, has put together a respectable career going back to his Cardinals debut in 2010. However, his numbers plummeted from 2018-20 with the Royals, Diamondbacks and White Sox. He hit a miserable .160/.211/.240 in 57 trips to the plate with Arizona last year, though Jay will get a chance to rebound beginning tonight with Fowler out for the season and both Lagares and Justin Upton (back stiffness) dealing with injuries.

Stassi has typically been known for his defensive acumen, but he has come alive at the plate since 2020. Including a red-hot start this season, Stassi has slashed .292/.371/.538 with eight home runs – albeit over a small sample of 124 PA and 38 games. Bemboom and Kurt Suzuki will handle the catching duties while Stassi is out.

Angels Select Jose Rojas, Juan Lagares

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MARCH 31: The Angels announced they’ve selected the contracts of Rojas and outfielder Juan Lagares. To create 40-man roster space, right-hander Kyle Keller was designated for assignment, while Barreto was placed on the 60-day injured list.

MARCH 27: The Angels have informed José Rojas that he’ll make the Opening Day roster, manager Joe Maddon announced to reporters (including Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register). The club will need to formally select him to the 40-man but has an available roster spot to do so. The 28-year-old is now in line to make his major league debut.

Rojas has made a rather remarkable ascent over the past few weeks. A former 36th-round draft pick, the left-handed hitting infielder only once made Baseball America’s ranking of Los Angeles’ top 30 prospects (coming in at 28th entering 2019). The Anaheim native earned himself a Spring Training invitation this year with strong career numbers at both Double-A (.277/.339/.486) and Triple-A (.284/.347/.539).

He has absolutely torn the cover off the ball this spring. Over 41 plate appearances, Rojas has mashed at a .333/.488/.667 clip. Spring Training statistics aren’t always reliable indicators of a player’s true talent, but Rojas apparently impressed Angels’ brass on an everyday basis. Franklin Barreto’s season-opening injured list stint partially opened the door for Rojas to claim a utility job, but he also simply outplayed Luis Rengifo. Rojas will now back up the Angels’ infield group of Anthony Rendon, José Iglesias, David Fletcher and Jared Walsh/Albert Pujols.

Angels Sign Juan Lagares To Minor-League Deal

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11:56 am: Lagares’ deal would pay him $1.25MM if he makes the Angels’ major league roster, reports Mark Feinsand of MLB.com (Twitter link).

10:13 am: The Angels have signed outfielder Juan Lagares to a minor-league contract, as first reported by Rolando Fermín (Twitter link) and confirmed by Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register. The deal includes an invitation to major league spring training.

Lagares has appeared in parts of eight major league seasons, all as a member of the Mets. A high-end defender, Lagares had a run as New York’s primary center fielder between 2013-15 but has seen his playing time drop off a bit in recent seasons. Never a particularly strong hitter, Lagares slumped to a .213/.279/.326 slash line over 285 plate appearances in 2019. He signed with the Padres last offseason but elected free agency after failing to crack the big league roster out of spring training. Lagares then returned to the Mets, where he appeared in two games as a defensive replacement but didn’t take an at-bat.

The 31-year-old now looks to have a decent opportunity to play his way onto the Angels’ roster this spring. Young talents Jo Adell and Brandon Marsh might be ticketed for the minors to start the season. That would only leave Taylor Ward as a primary outfielder on Los Angeles’ 40-man roster beyond the projected starting group of Justin Upton, Mike Trout and Dexter Fowler. (Infielders Jared Walsh, Franklin Barreto and Matt Thaiss each have very limited MLB experience in the grass, as well). Fellow non-roster invitee Scott Schebler looks to be Lagares’ most direct competition for a bench spot at the moment, although it’d hardly be surprising to see the Angels bring in another outfielder or two on a minor-league deal before spring training gets underway.

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