To supplement the loss of a few relievers, the Los Angeles Angels announced the signing of Reyes Moronta to a Minor League contract.
Moronta has pitched in parts of five big league seasons, most notably for his time with the San Francisco Giants from 2017-to-2021. In that stretch, he owned a 2.65 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, and a 152 ERA+ in 132.1 innings.
Last season, he spent time with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks, ultimately taking a step back in his performance with a 4.30 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and allowing 4.3 walks per nine innings. With the Dodgers, he had a few stretches as an effective reliever, but his highlight appearance came against the Atlanta Braves on June 26 after he struck out three over two scoreless innings in a 5–3 Dodgers’ win.
Prior to the start of this season, Moronta was signed and released by the Texas Rangers after he totaled a 15.88 ERA in seven spring outings.
With José Quijada and Austin Warren scheduled to undergo Tommy John surgery on May 17, their absence created a small need to supplement their bullpen depth in Triple-A. Moronta will join the Salt Lake Bees and be ready if they need an arm to eat a few innings, or perhaps they can find some life in that arm and he can provide solid production.
If the Angels decide to select his contract, they would need to make room on the 40-man roster. That could easily be done by placing Austin Warren on the 60-day injured list as he’s out for the season and set to undergo Tommy John surgery on May 17.
Carlos Estévez settling into Angels closer role
After Carlos Estévez pitched like a top-5 reliever in the second half of last season, and after a difficult Spring Training, he’s proving to be worth the investment.
The last big-time closer the Angels had at the backend was Raisel Iglesias, whom they traded for and extended on a huge contract following the 2020 season. But early on into the 2023 season, Estévez is a perfect 8-for-8 in save opportunities with a 1.02 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and a .145 batting average allowed.
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