Angels Designate Veteran Bat, Call Up Former First Round Pick

Los Angeles enters Monday eight games below .500, but the impact of new manager Ron Washington has been evident. Monday’s roster moves are no different, as the Halos moved on from one of their few free-agent signings after around just a month into the season.

Los Angeles Angels Designate Aaron Hicks For Assignment

The Angels signed Hicks to a one-year deal in late January as veteran outfield depth. Since most of his $9.5 million salary will be paid by the New York Yankees, the Angels owe Hick only a prorated portion of the $740K league minimum salary for his time spent on the roster.

While the Angels won’t pay Hicks a lot, it likely is too much for what he produced. In 63 plate appearances, the 34-year-old hit .140/.222/.193 with just one homer. Per OPS+, his offense was 80 percent worse than the league average.

Hicks has struggled for multiple years at this point but played well in 65 games with the Baltimore Orioles late last year. In a limited role, he produced an OPS of .806 (127 OPS+) and seemed to thrive away from the bright lights of New York. The Angels hoped that the trend would continue in his hometown, but Hicks looked lost at the plate.

With Mike Trout healthy again and Jo Adell breaking out with the bat, Washington is clearly setting a culture where production matters more than pedigree or contract.

Cole Tucker

The Halos signed Tucker, a former first-round pick of the Pittsburgh Pirates, in mid-April to a minor league deal. Unfortunately, the former top prospect has struggled mightily in the majors between the Pirates and Colorado Rockies. He is a career .216 hitter (57 OPS+) with five homers and poor defensive metrics.

That said, he hit well in the minors this year and the Angels can afford to give him a shot. In 36 Triple-A at-bats, Cole hit .313 with a .908 OPS. Though he came up as a shortstop, Cole has some experience playing all over the infield and some in the outfield. He will likely play a utility role in Anaheim but will be DH during his Angels debut on Monday.

Davis Daniel and Zac Kristofak

Daniel pitched well in 12 1/3 innings across three games last year for the Angels. Though he has an ERA above six in five Triple-A starts this year, Daniel has shown good strikeout and the ability to walk. The 26-year-old will likely pitch out of the bullpen for the Angels and serve as pitching depth with minor league options.

There are no moral victories in the cutthroat baseball industry, but Kristofak might be one of the better stories in the league. The Angels called him up on Sunday, and he made his debut by tossing two shutout innings against the Minnesota Twins. While the team demoted him one day later, the Angels will likely recall him at some point this season.