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MLB Notebook: Angels made a flurry of roster moves on Tuesday
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Photo credit: © Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images
Ryley Delaney
Mar 25, 2025, 20:00 EDTUpdated: Mar 25, 2025, 20:36 EDT
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The Los Angeles Angels have been busy in recent times.
They made a whole lot of roster moves on Tuesday. They started it off by releasing Mickey Moniak. Last season with the Angels, the 2016 first overall pick slashed .219/.266/.380 with 14 home runs in 418 plate appearances for a 79 wRC+ after coming off a solid 2023 season. His Spring Training didn’t help his case.
The Angels also designated José Quijada and Angel Perdomo for assignment. Quijada, a 29-year-old left-handed reliever, had a solid showing in 2024, posting a 3.26 ERA and a 4.30 FIP in 19 innings pitched. His last full season was in 2022, where he had a 3.98 ERA and a 3.85 FIP in 40.2 innings pitched.
Perdomo is also a left-handed reliever. With the 2023 Pittsburgh Pirates, he had a 3.72 ERA and a 3.01 FIP in 29 innings pitched with a 37.6 K% and a 9.4 BB%. He didn’t pitch in 2024.
In turn, the Angels added Tim Anderson and Ryan Johnson to the big league roster. Anderson has been around the league for a while now and isn’t the same player he was just a few seasons ago. 
Back in 2019, he slashed .335/.357/.508 with 18 home runs in 518 plate appearances and had a good 2020 and 2021 as well. His play has steadily gotten worse since the 2022 season, and he slashed .214/.237/.226/ with no home runs in 241 plate appearances with the Miami Marlins in 2024.
Johnson on the other hand, has never pitched professionally. Selected with the compensation pick in the 2024 draft the Angels received for losing Shohei Ohtani, Johnson has only pitched in Spring Training where he had a 3.97 ERA and a 4.81 FIP in 11.1 innings pitched with a 22.2 K% and a 2.2 BB%. Totally unremarkable, although he has solid command and high velocity. 
This has been a trend for the Angels the past few seasons. In the 2022 draft, they selected reliever Ben Joyce in the third round. The following season, he was in the big leagues. With the 11th overall pick in the 2023 draft, the Angels selected Nolan Schanuel, who was called up before the end of the season. Wild.
The Angels also signed Nicky Lopez to a big-league deal. Lopez spent all of 2024 with the Chicago White Sox, where he slashed .241/.312/.294 with one home run in 445 plate appearances for a 77 wRC+, his second-best wRC+ of his career. He had a good Spring Training with their cross-town rivals, the Chicago Cubs, before being released and signed by the Angels.

Cam Smith made the Astros’ roster

Speaking of young players who made a roster in rapid time, the Houston Astros have told Cam Smith that he’s made the team’s Opening Day roster.
Selected 14th overall in the 2024 draft by the Chicago Cubs, the third baseman played 32 minor league games where he slashed .313/.396/.609 with seven home runs between Single-A, High-A, and Double-A. In the off-season, the Cubs traded him to the Astros in the package for Kyle Tucker.
In Spring Training, Smith slashed .342/.419/.711 with four home runs in 43 plate appearances for a 185 wRC+.

Cal Raleigh extends with the Mariners

Lastly, another American League West team made a notable move on Tuesday, as the Seattle Mariners extended catcher Cal Raleigh to a six-year, $105 million deal.
It’s hard to say he hasn’t earned it either. Last season with the Mariners, he slashed .220/.312/.436 with a career-best 34 home runs in 628 plate appearances for a 117 wRC+ and a 5.4 fWAR. On top of hitting the most home runs for any catcher last season, Raleigh won the American League Gold Glove for the position.
One player he beat out for the Gold Glove was Alejandro Kirk, who posted similar defensive numbers (arguably better) with far less power in his bat. However, Kirk also signed a contract extension recently worth five years at $58 million.
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Blue Jays Nation, Oilersnation, and FlamesNation. They can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.

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