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Juan Lagares

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.

Mets Select Hunter Strickland; Juan Lagares Elects Free Agency

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The Mets have selected right-hander Hunter Strickland and optioned fellow righty Drew Smith, Tim Healey of Newsday was among those to report. Meanwhile, outfielder Juan Lagares has rejected an outright assignment and elected free agency.

The hard-throwing, 31-year-old Strickland is returning to the Mets exactly four weeks after they outrighted him off their roster Aug. 3. The move came after Strickland posted 2 1/3 disastrous innings across three appearances, during which he yielded four runs (three earned) on five hits. But Smith hasn’t been any better of late, as he has surrendered six runs (five earned) on six hits over 4 1/3 frames this month. Smith suffered a loss against the Yankees on Sunday when Gary Sanchez hit an eighth-inning grand slam off him.

Lagares was in his second stint with the Mets, but the club designated him for assignment Aug. 28 after he made two appearances and didn’t record an at-bat. The light-hitting, well-regarded defender, 31, will now return to the open market.

Mets Designate Juan Lagares For Assignment

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The Mets announced a series of roster moves to reporters Friday, designating outfielder Juan Lagares for assignment and reinstating righty Michael Wacha, shortstop Andres Gimenez and outfielder Jake Marisnick from the injured list (Twitter link via Deesha Thosar of the New York Daily News). The team also placed righty Corey Oswalt on the 10-day IL due to biceps tendinitis, optioned right-hander Drew Smith to the alternate training site in Brooklyn and added catcher Patrick Mazeika as the 29th man for today’s doubleheader.

Lagares, 31, was a mainstay on the Mets’ roster from 2013-19 before his 2020 club option was declined at the beginning of this past offseason. He eventually inked a minor league contract with the Padres but elected free agency when the team didn’t include him in its player pool. Lagares wound up returning to the Mets organization and getting called up this week, but he appeared in just two games without taking a plate appearance prior to this DFA. The return of Marisnick, who had been on the injured list since July 28, likely made Marisnick expendable. Both are right-handed-hitting, glove-first outfielders.

Mets Place Nido, Gimenez On Injured List; Juan Lagares/Patrick Mazeika Selected

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The Mets have placed infielder Andres Gimenez and catcher Tomas Nido on the injured list, the club announced.  Outfielder Juan Lagares and catcher Patrick Mazeika will be replacing them on the active roster, as the Mets selected their contracts from the team’s alternate training site.  Catcher Ali Sanchez has also been added to the roster as the 29th player for today’s doubleheader with the Marlins.

No specific reason was given for Gimenez and Nido’s placement, though the lack of information would seem to imply COVID-19 concerns.  The Mets are returning to the field today after having four games postponed due to positive coronavirus tests from an unnamed player and coach.  Also of note, bench coach Hensley Meulens and third base coach Gary DiSarcina are not at Citi Field today, according to multiple reporters.

Gimenez, one of the Mets’ top prospects and a top-100 prospect in the sport, was something of a surprise addition to New York’s roster at the beginning of the season since he hadn’t played beyond the Double-A level (and hadn’t hit particularly well at that level.  Indeed, Gimenez looked a little overmatched in his first 62 big league plate appearances, hitting .254/.290/.339.  On the plus side, Gimenez did go a perfect 6-for-6 in stolen base chances and displayed some solid glovework at shortstop, second base, and third base.

Since Sanchez will seemingly just be up for today’s two games, it looks like the Mets will give Mazeika a look as Wilson Ramos’ backup while Nido is out.  Mazeika was an eighth-round pick for the Mets in the 2015 draft, and he is poised to make his MLB debut after hitting .278/.371/.424 over 1801 career minor league plate appearances.  Like Gimenez, Mazeika hasn’t played any Triple-A ball.

Lagares will return to the Mets after signing a minor league contract back in July.  A staple of the New York outfield from 2013-19, Lagares displayed excellent glovework in his prime but injuries and a lack of consistent hitting turned the team’s four-year, $23.5MM extension into something of a misfire.  After the Mets declined their club option on Lagares for the 2020 season, he inked a minor league deal with the Padres in the offseason but elected free agency in July.

Mets Sign Juan Lagares, Brian Dozier

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The Mets have struck minor-league deals with outfielder Juan Lagares and infielder Brian Dozier, according to reports from Deesha Thosar of the New York Post (Twitter link) and MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo (via Twitter). Both will join the 60-man player pool.

It’s certainly an interesting mix of new additions for the New York club. Both players ended up back on the open market after they failed to stick with the Padres. Each has a history in the division.

Lagares has still yet to suit up for a team other than the Mets for regular season action. The 31-year-old spent seven seasons with the team but departed over the winter. Now, he’ll take up a spot on the depth chart but likely won’t have an opportunity in the majors other than as a fill-in player. Lagares owns a .254/.297/.361 slash in over two thousand career plate appearances.

As for Dozier, he’s fresh off of a season with the NL East-rival Nationals. The veteran second baseman turned in a useful .238/.340/.430 batting line over 482 plate appearances, but was largely displaced late in the season. He is now several seasons removed from his days as a star slugger with the Twins but still looks to be a nice insurance policy for the Mets.

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