A former World Series champion with the San Francisco Giants, Matt Duffy joined the Los Angeles Angels on a one-year deal worth $1.5 million. He was signed as a buy-low option for general manager Perry Minsasian with the hope that the now 32-year-old could provide quality innings if the moment called for it.
Duffy posted a solid .287/.357/.381 line with the Chicago Cubs in 2021, which accounted for much of the optimism around the infielder. He would see significant playing time early on in the season, logging 143 plate appearances through June 26.
His versatility around the infield was a very key piece to his value, but his 72 wRC+ wasn’t much of a boost for an offense that began to sputter after their initial hot start. Duffy was forced to hit the 10-day injured list with lower back spasms, but was then transfered to the 60-day when the issue didn’t subside.
The Angels would activate Duffy at the end of August and he would go on to post an 89 wRC+ in 103 plate appearances to round out the season.
Matt Duffy 2022 highlight
On May 28 against the Toronto Blue Jays, Duffy posted a four-hit game, including a double and an RBI. Unfortunately, his performance wasn’t accompanied by an outpouring of offense or lockdown pitching as the Angels lost the game 6-5.
But perhaps his best moment came on Sept. 3 against the Houston Astros after he delivered a walk-off single in the bottom of the 12th inning to plate Taylor Ward, giving the Angels a 2-1 victory.
2023 outlook
The veteran infielder received an offer from the Kansas City Royals on a Minor League contract in late January that included an invitation to big league Spring Training. Duffy will compete for a spot on their active roster and should have a good chance to make the team as a utility man on a roster that lacks talent.
He will look to rebound his value and could be a trade piece at the deadline for a contender in need of a backup infielder.
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