The Angels have signed infielder/outfielder Pablo Reyes to a minor league deal, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. He has been assigned to Triple-A Salt Lake and should make an appearance for the Bees in the near future.
Reyes, 32, began the season with the Padres on a minor league deal but he was released last week. It’s possible that he had some kind of opt-out in that deal because he actually performed quite well. He stepped to the plate 258 times for Triple-A El Paso, with strong walk and strikeout rates of 13.6% and 14%, respectively. He slashed .310/.408/.491. Even in the hitter-friendly context of the Pacific Coast League, that production was 21% better than league average, according to wRC+.
In his big league career, Reyes has never put up numbers like that. He has been a part-time player for five different teams and played in seven different seasons. Across those different stints, he has put up a tepid .245/.305/.342 line in 606 big league plate appearances. His main contribution has been defensive versatility, as he has experience at every spot on the diamond except catcher.
For the Angels, there’s no harm in bringing him aboard on a minor league deal and having some extra non-roster depth. The Angels have the worst record in baseball at 37-56, lining them up to be clear deadline sellers. Guys like Jorge Soler, Jose Siri, Josh Lowe, Oswald Peraza, Vaughn Grissom and Jo Adell are potential trade candidates.
A bolder move of someone like Zach Neto, who is an everyday player and controlled for three more seasons, will be speculated upon but that’s the kind of trade the Angels have not made in recent history. The club just made a front office switch, with general manager Perry Minasian fired and replaced by interim GM John Mozeliak, but it’s unclear if that will lead to a sudden sea change in how the franchise operates.
Time will tell how that plays out but Reyes could be an option to be called up if some playing time opens up, whether that is due to trades or injuries. If he does eventually get a roster spot, he is out of options.
Photo courtesy of Rick Scuteri, Imagn Images
