Angels Select Wade Meckler, Donovan Walton
The Angels announced that they have selected the contracts of outfielder Wade Meckler and infielder Donovan Walton. They will take the places of outfielder Josh Lowe and infielder Yoán Moncada. Lowe has been optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake while Moncada has been placed on the 10-day injured list with right knee inflammation. The Halos came into the day with one open 40-man spot after outrighting Alek Manoah earlier this week. They opened another by transferring left-hander Yusei Kikuchi to the 60-day IL.
Meckler, 26, spent his entire career with the Giants until recently. The Angels claimed him off waivers in January but then outrighted him a few weeks later. He started this year with Triple-A Salt Lake but struggled in five games, so the Halos sent him down to Double-A Rocket City. He has been mashing for the Trash Pandas, with a .343/.449/.525 line. That is partly due to a .395 batting average on balls in play but his matching walk and strikeout rates of 16% are both very strong figures.
Prior to joining the Angels, Meckler got a very brief major league debut with the Giants in 2023. He hit just .232/.328/.250 in 64 plate appearances. As a prospect, his profile indicated he had a solid floor thanks to his speed and defense. His offense was and is more questionable. He has generally had a good contact approach without a ton of power. He has 1,393 minor league plate appearances in his career with a strong 14.2% walk rate and 16.6% strikeout rate but only 21 home runs in that time.
With Meckler putting up good numbers at the plate lately, the Angels will see if he can translate any of that to the big leagues. At worst, he should be able to run the ball down and steal a few bases, though whether he can produce from the batter’s box will be more of a question. If it doesn’t work out, he does still have an option and can be easily sent back down to the minors.
The Halos have had a primary outfield of Mike Trout, Jo Adell and Lowe this year, with guys like Jorge Soler, Adam Frazier and Jose Siri also chipping in. Trout and Adell should still be in there regularly but the other guys in that cluster could perhaps be competing to take some of the playing time that has opened up with Lowe no longer on the roster.
Walton, 32 next week, has been a part-time major leaguer for quite a while but in fits and starts. He debuted in 2019 and this will technically be his seventh big league season but he has appeared in only 72 games. In his 214 plate appearances, he has a .172/.223/.298 batting line. Though he hasn’t done much with the bat, he has at least provided defensive versatility, with experience at the three infield spots to the left of first base as well as left field.
His offense has been far better in the minors. In 1,647 Triple-A plate appearances in his career, he has a strong .281/.372 /.439 line. That includes a .282/.429/.481 line this year, after signing a minor league deal with the Halos in the offseason. Even in the hitter-friendly context of the Pacific Coast League, that line translates to a 128 wRC+.
Walton gives the Angels another lefty bat for their infield. Righties Vaughn Grissom and Oswald Peraza are currently getting a decent amount of time at second and third base, so Walton could perhaps complement those two, along with lefty Adam Frazier.
Moncada has been scuffling while battling a knee injury this year, putting up a .189/.308/.297 line. A trip to the IL could allow him to reset but it’s also possible he’s facing a longer absence. Surgery on that knee is a possibility, per Francys Romero of BeisbolFR. Time will tell how much time he needs to miss. For now, his absence opens up third base time for the aforementioned cluster of infielders.
As for Lowe, this move isn’t surprising with his current numbers, but it’s quite notable in the larger context. Back in 2023, he hit 20 home runs for the Rays and stole 32 bases. He hit .292/.335/.500 for a wRC+ of 130. FanGraphs credited him with 3.4 wins above replacement that year.
Unfortunately, he’s been on a downward trajectory since then. In 2024, his line dropped to .241/.302/.391, leading to a 98 wRC+. Another drop came in 2025, as he put up a .220/.283/.366 line and 79 wRC+. The Angels took a shot on a bounceback, acquiring Lowe in a three-team trade that sent pitchers Brock Burke and Chris Clark out of town. That move hasn’t panned out for the Halos at all, with Lowe having hit .184/.226/.320 this year. A .220 BABIP isn’t helping but his 4.5% walk rate and 29.1% strikeout rate are both awful figures.
The Angels will try to get him back on track in Salt Lake. Once he spends 20 days in the minor, this will be his final option season and he will be out of options in 2027. Either way, he’s trending towards a non-tender. He has already qualified for arbitration and is making $2.6MM this year.
Kikuchi landed on the 15-day IL in early May with shoulder inflammation. Shortly thereafter, the Halos announced that he would be shut down for three to four weeks before ramping back up again. His 60-day count is retroactive to that initial IL placement, so he’ll technically be eligible for reinstatement in early July. Whether he can get healthy by then remains to be seen.
Prior to the official announcement, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register relayed that Meckler and Walton were in the lineup with Lowe and Moncada not on the lineup card. Moncada then told Jack Janes of The Sporting Tribune that he was going on the injured list.
Angels Notes: Closer, Moncada, Grissom
The Angels continue to operate without a defined closer, manager Kurt Suzuki tells Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com. That comes after Kirby Yates blew a save by surrendering a ninth-inning homer to Jeff McNeil on Wednesday. The A’s would go to win that game by plating the free runner against Chase Silseth in the top of the 10th.
Yates was going for his first save of the season. The 39-year-old missed the first six weeks to right knee inflammation. He’d worked scoreless appearances in three of four outings before the ill-timed longball yesterday.
The Halos have been the worst team in the league, so it’s not a surprise that they have the fewest saves in MLB. That said, it’s remarkable that four of their five saves all year were by the since released Jordan Romano within the first two weeks of the season. They have one save in the last six weeks, which went to Ryan Zeferjahn against the White Sox on May 5.
Aside from Yates, Silseth technically has their only other blown save this month. That came in the sixth inning, so it was more accurately a missed opportunity for a hold. The Halos didn’t have a save opportunity tonight, but they went right back to Yates in a situation typically reserved for a team’s closer — to pitch the top of the ninth in a tied game. The righty worked around a Vaughn Grissom error to toss a scoreless inning.
Grissom got the nod at the hot corner for the third consecutive game. The last two have come against right-handed starters Aaron Civale and Luis Severino. That’s not a coincidence, as Suzuki confirmed to Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register that they’re reducing playing time for scuffling third baseman Yoán Moncada.
Re-signed to a $4MM deal over the offseason, Moncada has hit .189/.308/.297 across 130 plate appearances. Although he has avoided the injured list, the 30-year-old confirmed he’s still dealing with discomfort in his right knee related to the injury that cost him five weeks last summer. The switch-hitter said the knee bothers him when he bats from the right side. The Halos have accordingly limited his exposure to left-handed pitching for a second straight year.
Moncada had been productive from the left side of the dish last season, posting an .815 OPS against righties. That’s down to a .225/.330/.360 line with 34 strikeouts in 104 plate appearances this year — more or less leading to an unofficial benching.
“That’s the route that we’re going to go,” Suzuki told Fletcher. “I talked to him and he knows what he has to do. … Right now, this is where we’re at. I’m not saying it’s going to be like this the rest of the year. It might change. It might not.”
The Angels took a flier on the right-handed hitting Grissom in an offseason deal with Boston. A minor sprain of his left wrist sidelined him for a couple weeks to begin the season. Grissom came out on fire when he was activated, hitting .342 with a homer and four doubles in 13 games through the end of April. His bat has gone ice cold since the calendar flipped, and he’s now hitting .226/.308/.355 over 108 plate appearances. The Halos have used an Oswald Peraza/Adam Frazier platoon at second base but could get Peraza more work at the hot corner if Grissom doesn’t pick back up.
Angels Re-Sign Yoan Moncada
The Angels are reportedly in agreement with Yoán Moncada on a one-year deal. It’s a $4MM guarantee for the client of The Movement Baseball. The Angels have an opening on the 40-man roster and will not need to make a corresponding move to finalize the contract.
Moncada is back for a second season with the Halos. It’s a similar contract to the $5MM deal that he signed last February. Moncada played reasonably well when healthy but missed a third of the season to a pair of injured list stints. A right thumb sprain and inflammation in his right knee kept him out of action for the majority of the first half. He only played in 36 games before the All-Star Break, though he was available for the entire second half.
The 30-year-old Moncada put together a .234/.336/.448 showing across 289 plate appearances. He connected on 12 home runs and drew walks at a strong 11.1% rate while striking out a little more than a quarter of the time. It was a typical Moncada season — solid power and on-base skills with lots of strikeouts and a couple injury absences.
Moncada was once the top prospect in MLB. He had a couple star-level performances with the White Sox in 2019 and ’21 but didn’t become the franchise player they expected when they signed him to a $70MM extension in Spring Training 2020. Moncada combined for a .234/.288/.386 batting line between 2022-23. He barely played in ’24 because of a serious adductor (groin) strain, and the White Sox had an easy call to buy him out for $5MM instead of a $25MM club option.
A switch-hitter, Moncada has been better from the left side of the plate over his career. The Angels used mostly in a platoon capacity last year, as he only took 27 plate appearances against southpaws. He’ll get the majority of playing time at third base but could cede some at-bats against lefties, with righty-hitting Vaughn Grissom and Denzer Guzman options for at-bats.
Grissom, acquired from the Red Sox in a buy-low trade at the Winter Meetings, is a better fit at second base. The Angels are likely to give former first-round pick Christian Moore another look at the keystone, but he struggled to a .198/.284/.370 line in his first 53 MLB games. Moore has only 30 games of Triple-A experience and could need more time in the minors. Grissom is out of options and will be on the big league roster in some capacity. Former top prospect Oswald Peraza is also out of options but seems less assured to avoid landing on waivers out of Spring Training.
The Angels have signed five MLB free agent contracts this offseason, all via one-year deals. Kirby Yates, Drew Pomeranz, Jordan Romano and Alek Manoah came aboard for $5MM or less. They’ve spent a combined $16.95MM this offseason without making any moves that extend beyond 2026. RosterResource now calculates their payroll around $180MM, about $13MM south of where they opened the ’25 season. They still need to add at least one starter and would ideally upgrade in center field, where Josh Lowe, Bryce Teodosio and Wade Meckler are the top options.
Francys Romero first reported the agreement. Jon Heyman of The New York Post had the $4MM guarantee. Image courtesy of Peter Aiken, Imagn Images.
Several Teams Interested In Yoán Moncada
Infielder Yoán Moncada is currently a free agent after playing out a one year, $5MM deal with the Angels. He was an above-average hitter in 84 games in 2025 but missed time due to right thumb and right knee injuries. According to Francys Romero of Beisbol FR, several teams have expressed early interest in signing Moncada, including the Angels, Pirates, White Sox, and Blue Jays.
The 30-year-old originally signed with the Red Sox out of Cuba for a $31.5MM bonus in February 2015. He made his debut late in 2016 before being traded to the White Sox as their key return for Chris Sale. Moncada had a 105 wRC+ in 231 plate appearances in 2017 but fell below average in his first full season in 2018. He broke out in 2019 with a .315/.367/.548 batting line in 559 PA, along with 25 home runs. Granted, the ball was juiced that year, but Moncada’s output was still 39% better than average by wRC+. The White Sox were confident enough to give him a five-year, $70MM extension in March 2020, which covered the 2020-24 seasons and contained a club option for 2025.
Moncada slumped during the COVID-shortened 2020 season, posting a 94 wRC+ while seeing a drop in power and spending two weeks on the injured list. He rebounded in 2021 with a line of .263/.375/.412 and a 120 wRC+. The power wasn’t quite back to his 2019 levels, though he looked like a more mature hitter overall, dropping his strikeout rate to 25.5% while posting a career-best 13.6% walk rate.
Unfortunately, Moncada has struggled with injuries and inconsistency ever since. From 2022-24, he batted .236/.291/.387 with an 88 wRC+ while playing in just 206 out of 486 possible games. In 2024, he spent most of the season on the 60-day IL with a left abductor strain, making just 45 plate appearances with a 118 wRC+. After the season, the club declined their $25MM club option on Moncada in lieu of a $5MM buyout, making him a free agent.
This year with the Angels, he had a 117 wRC+ in 289 PA over 84 games. His strikeout rate of 26.0% was high, while his 11.1% walk rate was better than average. His .214 ISO was his highest since his 2019 breakout season, as was his .448 slugging percentage. Although he is nominally a switch-hitter, most of his damage came as a lefty facing right-handed pitching. He posted 125 wRC+ in 262 PA against righties, but just a 37 wRC+ in 27 PA against southpaws. Meanwhile, both Defensive Runs Saved and Outs Above Average saw Moncada as a liability at third base. His -13 OAA was worst in the league among third baseman with at least 300 defensive innings.
Altogether, Moncada showed above average offense but was weighed down by injuries and newfound defensive struggles. As a free agent, he is more or less in the same position as last offseason, with a one-year deal being his most likely outcome. The current market has Alex Bregman and Eugenio Suarez as the top options at third base. Kazuma Okamoto is still available, with his posting window closing on January 4. The next-best options after that are utility players, so teams needing an everyday third baseman could look to Moncada as a low-cost flier.
Among the clubs with reported interest, the Angels might be the best fit. Anthony Rendon is expected to retire after an injury-riddled tenure in Los Angeles. After Moncada, Luis Rengifo got the most time at the hot corner in 2025, though he is a now a free agent. The club acquired infielder Vaughn Grissom from the Red Sox earlier this month, and he has not played third base in his big-league career. Another one-year deal with Moncada would fill the third-base vacancy and set Grissom up to compete for second base time, where the incumbent Christian Moore was unimpressive offensively in 2025.
Looking at the Pirates, the team traded Ke’Bryan Hayes to the Reds in July and saw Isiah Kiner-Falefa claimed by the Blue Jays in August. Jared Triolo played 260 1/3 innings at the hot corner, but he is more of a multi-positional player and did not hit as well as Moncada. The club is interested in signing Okamoto, but Moncada could be a fallback option for them.
The White Sox recently signed Munetaka Murakami to play first base and have Miguel Vargas as the projected starter at third. Moncada would be an offensive upgrade over Vargas if the club limits his exposure to left-handed pitching. Meanwhile, the Blue Jays are known to be interested in signing Bregman. Ernie Clement and Addison Barger are already on the roster if he signs elsewhere. Both are average hitters, while Clement is an excellent defender at third (11 DRS in 2025), so they are a more curious fit for Moncada.
Photo courtesy of Steven Bisig, Imagn Images
Angels Place Yoán Moncada, Robert Stephenson On Injured List
The Angels announced today that infielder Yoán Moncada has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to right knee inflammation. Right-hander Robert Stephenson landed on the 15-day IL due to right biceps inflammation, retroactive to May 31st. The Halos didn’t provide any information about how long either player is expected to be out of action. Outfielder Matthew Lugo and righty Sam Aldegheri were recalled to take the two vacated active roster spots.
Moncada, 30, signed with the Halos this offseason on a one-year deal which pays him $5MM. He has been excellent when he’s been on the field. He has stepped to the plate 113 times over 30 games. His 28.3% strikeout rate is high but he has six home runs and has drawn walks at a strong 11.5% clip. His .237/.336/.505 batting line translates to a 135 wRC+, indicating he’s been 35% better than league average at the plate overall.
But as has often been the case with Moncada, injuries have gotten in the way. He hasn’t played more than 104 games in a season since 2021 due to various ailments. He only got into 12 contests last year due to an adductor strain. He already missed almost a month this year due to a thumb sprain and now this knee issue has him on the shelf again.
It’s a bit of a double blow for the Halos, who are struggling to hang in the American League playoff race. They are 26-32, ahead of just three American League clubs and five games back of the final Wild Card spot. Losing Moncada will hurt their ability to stay in the race. Shortstop Zach Neto is the only position player on the team with a higher wins above replacement tally this year, in the eyes of FanGraphs. If they fall back in the race, Moncada would be one of their more interesting trade chips, though each injury compounds his injury-prone reputation and hurts his trade value.
With Moncada ailing in recent days, the Halos have had Luis Rengifo move from second to third with Scott Kingery taking over the keystone. That could perhaps be their regular alignment while Moncada is out, with Kevin Newman and Chris Taylor also on hand.
For Stephenson, it’s a frustrating setback. He signed a three-year, $33MM deal going into 2024 but required Tommy John surgery in April of last year, before he even got a chance to throw a pitch for the Angels. He recovered from that surgery and was reinstated from the IL a few days ago. But in his second appearance, which was on Friday, he departed after just three pitches with an apparent injury.
The Angels’ bullpen has a collective 6.04 earned run average, worse than every club in the majors except for the Athletics. Ideally, Stephenson’s return would have strengthened the group. In the second half of 2023, he was one of the best relievers on the planet. With the Rays, he threw 38 1/3 innings with a 2.35 ERA, 42.9% strikeout rate and 5.7% walk rate. That prompted the Angels to give him a hefty deal but he hasn’t been able to give them a return on that investment yet and that won’t change for a few more weeks at least.
Photo courtesy of Jayne Kamin-Oncea, Imagn Images
Angels Select Héctor Neris, Connor Brogdon
The Angels announced that they have selected the contracts of right-handers Héctor Neris and Connor Brogdon. Infielder Yoán Moncada was also reinstated from the 10-day injured list. In corresponding moves, right-hander Michael Darrell-Hicks and infielder Niko Kavadas have been optioned to Triple-A, while righty Touki Toussaint has been designated for assignment. The club had one open 40-man vacancy coming into today.
The Angels have been busy swapping in fresh arms to their bullpen lately. After some heavy bullpen usage on Thursday and Friday, Toussaint and Darrell-Hicks were called up on Saturday. On Sunday, the club got torched, losing 13-1 to the Tigers. Both pitchers took on some mop-up duty and have been swapped out for more fresh arms today.
Neris, 36 next month, just signed a minor league deal with the club a couple of months ago. He started the season on a minor league deal with Atlanta and made the Opening Day roster but was bumped off after two bad appearances. He elected free agency and landed a new deal with the Halos. He has since made four Triple-A appearances, allowing two earned runs with eight strikeouts and one walk.
The righty has a lengthy track record of major league success but has been more wobbly in recent years. In 2021, he had a 31.6% strikeout rate but that dropped to 30%, 28.2% and 24.6% in subsequent seasons. He was able to work around that with a 1.17 ERA in 2023 but that jumped to 4.10 last year, which likely led to him settling for a minor league deal with Atlanta coming into 2025.
Brogdon, 30, signed a minor league deal with the Halos in January. He has thrown 14 2/3 Triple-A innings this year, allowing 21 earned runs for an eye-popping 12.89 ERA. His 25.3% strikeout rate is actually pretty good and his 9.6% walk rate passable but he has allowed six home runs already in that span.
He was a solid major leaguer as of a few years ago but has been struggling more recently. He tossed 113 innings for the Phillies over the 2020 to 2022 seasons with a 3.42 ERA, 25.1% strikeout rate and 7.3% walk rate. But in 2023, his ERA jumped to 4.03, with a 20.5% strikeout rate and 10.2% walk rate. Last year was mostly lost due to injuries, with plantar fasciitis being the main culprit. The Angels presumably hoped to get him back on track but the Triple-A results so far this year have been mixed, to say the least.
As mentioned earlier, Toussaint gets bumped off the roster just a few days after being added. He tossed two innings in his lone appearance, allowing two earned runs on four hits and a walk while striking out three.
He should be placed on waivers in the coming days. Once a notable prospect, he has never been able to rein in his control enough to find success. In 282 1/3 major league innings, he has a 5.42 ERA, 23.1% strikeout rate and 47.6% ground ball rate but a big 14.1% walk rate.
Photo courtesy of Denis Poroy, Imagn Images
Angels Select J.D. Davis, Place Yoan Moncada On IL, Designate Jack Dashwood
10:46am: The Angels have formally announced Davis’ selection to the big league roster. Moncada is indeed headed to the 10-day injured list due to a right thumb sprain. Left-hander Jack Dashwood has been designated for assignment to open a 40-man roster spot for Davis.
10:42am: The Angels are selecting the contract of veteran corner infielder J.D. Davis, MLBTR has confirmed. Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register first reported that Davis was in the visiting clubhouse in Tampa this morning. A corresponding move isn’t yet known, though third baseman Yoan Moncada has been dealing with a thumb issue this season and exited yesterday’s game early.
Davis, 32 later this month, signed a minor league deal with the Angels over the winter. The eight-year veteran didn’t originally make the cut this spring but has gotten out to a strong start with Triple-A Salt Lake, slashing .297/.357/.486 with a pair of homers, a double, four walks and eight strikeouts in 42 plate appearances (9.5 BB%, 19 K%).
Originally selected with the No. 75 overall pick by the Astros back in 2014, Davis debuted with Houston briefly in 2017. He didn’t get much of a look that year or in 2018, and the ‘Stros traded him to the Mets ahead of the 2019 campaign. From 2019-23, Davis was a productive hitter for the Mets and Giants, batting a combined .268/.352/.443 (119 wRC+) with 63 homers in just over 1800 plate appearances. He was a bit strikeout-prone, at 27.3%, but he also walked in 10.2% of his trips to the plate.
Davis’ numbers slipped closer to average in the final season of that stretch, however, and he experienced a pronounced downturn at the plate in 2024 when he batted just .218/.293/.338 in 157 plate appearances between the A’s and Yankees. Davis actually cut his strikeout rate a few points last season and still made hard contact at a strong 43.7% clip, but his ground-ball rate spiked to a career-high 61.4%. For a player with sub-par speed, a deluge of even well-struck grounders isn’t a recipe for success. At his peak from 2019-22, Davis saw his ground-ball rate settle in just shy of 47%.
Moncada, 29, signed a one-year deal this offseason that guaranteed him $5MM. He’s battled thumb pain throughout spring and the season’s early stages. He’s appeared in only eight games and tallied just 27 plate appearances, going 4-for-21 with a pair of doubles, six walks and eight strikeouts (.190/.370/.286).
A ballyhooed international signing and one of the focal points of the failed White Sox rebuilding efforts, Moncada looked destined for stardom early in his career — so much so that Chicago signed him to a five-year, $70MM extension. Given the switch-hitter’s .315/.367/.548, 25-homer breakout back in 2019, that contract seemed like a sound investment. But Moncada’s output in subsequent seasons has routinely been sapped by injuries. He appeared in only 404 games over the life of that five-year pact (which, notably, included the shortened 2020 campaign) and hit just .244/.326/.395 along the way. That was roughly league-average production, so it wasn’t a total flop, but the Sox had much, much loftier expectations when signing him to that deal.
The 27-year-old Dashwood was added to the Angels’ 40-man roster ahead of the 2024 Rule 5 draft. He only pitched 10 innings in Double-A last year due to injury, but Dashwood posted a 15-to-1 K/BB ratio in that time and followed that truncated season with a big performance in the Arizona Fall League: another ten innings with just four runs on 10 hits and a huge 17-to-2 K/BB mark. The 6’6″ southpaw has been rocked for a dozen runs through his first two Triple-A frames this season, however.
The Angels will have five days to trade Dashwood, after which he’ll need to be placed on waivers. That’d be another 48-hour process. It’s possible he could be waived prior to that five-day mark as well, but either way, the Halos will get a resolution on his DFA within the next week.
Angels Notes: Rengifo, Neto, Moncada
TODAY: Washington told Jeff Fletcher and other reporters today that Moncada’s thumb has “some deep bruises” but “nothing is torn,” so “we’ve got to let it settle down before we start letting him try to hit.” The manager isn’t yet sure if Moncada may or may not need an IL stint to begin the season.
MARCH 15: The Angels have had a number of health woes throughout the spring, with among the most recent being concern that a nagging hamstring issue could keep infielder Luis Rengifo off the club’s Opening Day roster. Fortunately for the club and Rengifo, however, things appear to be trending in the right direction with less than two weeks remaining until the Angels begin their season in Chicago against the White Sox. As noted by Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register, Rengifo started the club’s spring game yesterday at third base and declared to reporters (including Fletcher) that he would be ready for Opening Day. Manager Ron Washington was more reserved, but acknowledged that Rengifo does have enough time to be ready for the start of the season so long as he avoids any further setbacks.
That Rengifo figures to be ready for the start of the season is surely a huge relief for the Angels. After all, the switch hitter was the club’s top offensive performer last year aside from Mike Trout, who was limited to just 29 games due to injuries last year. Rengifo was not healthy in 2024 himself, playing in only 79 games with 304 trips to the plate, but in those limited appearances he hit a solid .300/.347/.417 with a wRC+ of 117. Rengifo is currently penciled in as the club’s starting second baseman, though he has the versatility to handle third base, shortstop, and the outfield corners as well. With second baseman and 2024 first-rounder Christian Moore seemingly already knocking on the door of the major leagues with a phenomenal spring, it’s easy to imagine that versatility being key to Angels’ plans for Rengifo in the near future.
In other positive injury news, Fletcher relays that shortstop Zach Neto has been making progress as he works his way back from offseason shoulder surgery. Neto has already been ruled out for Opening Day, but isn’t expected to miss much of the regular season as he’s already ahead of his expected schedule. The 24-year-old has yet to progress to facing live pitching, but is preparing for game action by standing in the box for the bullpen sessions of his teammates and is currently throwing from 105 feet, nearly the full length from shortstop to first base. The Halos’ top hitter by both bWAR and fWAR last year, Neto figures to slide back into his job as the club’s everyday shortstop sometime in April as things stand.
Not all of the latest news out of Angels camp is positive, however. As noted by MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger, third baseman Yoan Moncada was scratched from yesterday’s lineup due to thumb soreness. He remained out of the lineup today, and while there’s been no indication of the severity of the issue to this point, it’s at least somewhat concerning given the veteran’s lengthy injury history and the issue’s proximity to Opening Day. If Moncada’s thumb issue were to prove more serious, non-roster invitee J.D. Davis may be best positioned to take advantage of the vacant job at third base although fellow non-roster invitees Tim Anderson and Carter Kieboom could also theoretically be in the mix.
Christian Moore To Get Third Base Reps In Camp
Angels prospect Christian Moore has primarily been a second baseman but he will be getting some work at third base in camp, manager Ron Washington tells Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register.
Moore, 22, was only drafted last summer. On most clubs, that would make him a long shot to crack the major league roster, but the Angels have been very aggressive in promoting their top picks. First baseman Nolan Schanuel was drafted in July of 2023 and was up in the show by the middle of August, just over a month later. Shortstop Zach Neto was drafted in 2022 but was up in the majors less than a year later, getting promoted in mid-April 2023.
Fletcher adds that Moore was almost promoted in September of last year before hurting his knee, so a 2025 debut would appear to be firmly on the table. Selected eighth overall in last year’s draft, he had hit 61 home runs in 186 games over three years at the University of Tennessee, producing a line of .338/.447/.698.
After the draft, the Angels put him into two games at Single-A and then 23 contests at the Double-A level. He hit a combined .347/.400/.584 in those minor league contests. He only played one game in the month of September because of that aforementioned knee injury.
After he recovered, the Angels gave him some work at third base in the instructional league. During his time in Single-A and Double-A, he only played second base. That was his primary position at Tennessee as well, though he did see some limited time at shortstop and in the outfield. He played one game at third base in the Cape Cod League in 2022.
“He plays third base pretty good,” Washington said. “It’s wide open. It’s freelancing at third base. Second base, he’s got to make decisions. That’s what I want to see at second base, the type of decisions he makes. Third base, you do or don’t, you will or you won’t.”
Diversifying his defensive skill set would give Moore another path to the big leagues. The Angels project to have Luis Rengifo as their regular second baseman. He can play other spots but he’s been at the keystone most often. At third base, Anthony Rendon is going to be on the injured list for an extended period of time following hip surgery. The Angels signed Yoán Moncada to take over at the hot corner, though he has an extensive injury history of his own. He has only got into more than 104 games in a season three times in his nine-year career, the most recent instance being back in 2021.
If Moore looks capable of holding down third base and Moncada gets bit by the injury bug again, then perhaps the Angels will give Moore consideration there. Other options would include Kevin Newman or Scott Kingery, who are on the roster, as well as non-roster invitees like J.D. Davis or Tim Anderson. With Rengifo’s ability to move to third, those guys could potentially play second.
Even if Moore takes the third base job at some point this year, that will likely be a short-term proposition. Rengifo is slated for free agency at season’s end. Assuming the Halos still think the keystone is Moore’s long-term home, it should be available to him. Moncada is also on a one-year deal, so taking over third is also possible if they think he’s a better fit there. Rendon is under contract through 2026 but he hasn’t played more than 58 games in a season since 2019 and the Angels don’t seem committed to giving him playing time even when he recovers from his surgery.
Angels Sign Yoan Moncada
TODAY: Moncada’s deal with the Angels is now official, as is the club’s deal with Kenley Jansen. Anthony Rendon and Robert Stephenson were transferred to the 60-day injured list to make room on the 40-man roster.
FEBRUARY 11: The Angels are reportedly in agreement with third baseman Yoán Moncada on a one-year, $5MM deal. The signing is pending a physical for the Quality Control Sports client. The Angels will need to create a 40-man roster spot once it is finalized.
Moncada, 30 in May, is looking for a rebound after a disappointing end to his eight seasons with the White Sox. The former top prospect had an up-and-down tenure in Chicago. He earned down-ballot MVP support during his best year, a 2019 season in which he hit .315/.367/.548 with a career-high 25 home runs. The Sox signed Moncada to a $70MM extension the following spring, believing he’d cemented himself as a core piece coming out of their rebuild.
That is not how things have played out. Moncada slumped to a .225/.320/.385 showing in 2020. That looked like a short-season aberration the following year, as he posted a strong .263/.375/.412 slash across 144 games. Moncada’s bat hit another sharp decline thereafter. He combined for a .234/.288/.386 line in nearly 800 plate appearances over the next two seasons. His final year in Chicago was tanked by injury. Moncada suffered a significant left adductor (groin) strain two weeks into the year. He was immediately ruled out for 3-6 months. Moncada didn’t return to the active roster until the middle of September.
By that point, the White Sox were playing out the string on the worst season in modern history. It was a foregone conclusion that they’d buy Moncada out for $5MM instead of a $25MM club option. The Sox had little reason to put him back in the lineup. He only made one appearance as a pinch-runner in the final two weeks. His season ended with 12 games and 45 plate appearances.
Moncada is now three years removed from his last strong season. At his best, he has shown above-average power and speed with a patient offensive approach. Moncada took walks at an excellent 13.6% clip back in 2021. He takes a lot of called strikes as well, so he has punched out in 29.2% of his career plate appearances. He’s a .254/.331/.424 hitter in more than 3100 major league plate appearances.
After playing second base during his first two seasons, Moncada kicked to third base in 2019. He hasn’t played anywhere other than the hot corner over the past six years. That’ll very likely be his home with the Halos. General manager Perry Minasian said at the beginning of the offseason that the Angels were not committed to giving that job back to Anthony Rendon. He’s likely headed to the bench as he enters the sixth season of his seven-year free agent deal. Luis Rengifo can take the majority of the playing time at second base, while the Halos acquired Jorge Soler to serve as their primary designated hitter.
This is the Angels’ first move of consequence in months. They were the league’s most active team in the offseason’s first few weeks. They pulled off the Soler trade while signing Kyle Hendricks, Travis d’Arnaud and Yusei Kikuchi before Thanksgiving. They had not made a major league free agent pickup since finalizing the Kikuchi deal. They’ve added a few veteran infielders on minor league contracts, including Moncada’s longtime Sox teammate Tim Anderson. With Zach Neto questionable for Opening Day following postseason shoulder surgery, Anderson could compete with free agent signee Kevin Newman for the season-opening shortstop job. The Angels may have Moncada and Anderson on the left side of their infield for at least a few weeks.
Moncada was also tied to the Blue Jays, Mariners and Cubs at points this offseason. Francys Romero reports that the Cubs made a one-year offer worth around $3MM. Moncada declined and came out $2MM ahead with the Angels. (Chicago has signed Jon Berti to serve as a multi-positional infielder and is likely to turn third base over to top prospect Matt Shaw.) This pushes the Angels payroll to approximately $193MM, as calculated by RosterResource. They’re at $210MM in luxury tax commitments, a little more than $30MM below the lowest threshold.
Jon Heyman of The New York Post first reported the $5MM agreement. Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.