The Los Angeles Angels have added another depth piece, signing Pablo Reyes to a minor league deal after the San Diego Padres let him go last week.
Reyes will head to Triple-A Salt Lake and is expected to get into a game for the Bees soon, according to Darragh McDonald of MLBTradeRumors.com. The move gives the Angels a versatile option, and Reyes can handle every spot on the field except catcher.
For San Diego, the decision to release him was a bit of a head-scratcher. Reyes, 32, was raking for Triple-A El Paso, putting together a .310/.408/.491 line in 258 plate appearances. His strikeout rate sat at 13.6 percent, his walk rate at 14 percent, and McDonald noted those numbers were 21 percent better than league average in the Pacific Coast League, a circuit known for favoring hitters.
Still, the production came with a caveat. McDonald also pointed out that Reyes has never really posted numbers like that before. Over seven big-league seasons with five different teams, he’s been more of a part-time player, carrying a career line of .245/.305/.342 in 606 major league plate appearances.
The Angels have spent plenty of time this season taking chances on players in Reyes’ mold, and they’ve gotten some payoff from that approach. Outfielders Jose Siri and Wade Meckler have both chipped in at times.
There may be another layer to the signing, too. With the trade deadline approaching, Reyes could carry some added value if the Angels follow through on expectations that they’ll be sellers. Jorge Soler, Josh Lowe, Jo Adell and others are viewed as possible trade pieces.
The Padres, meanwhile, have already moved in a different direction. They selected Luis Rengifo and signed him to a minor league deal, and the two players’ career numbers are said to be strikingly similar. Rengifo brings a little more pop, though, and that matters for a San Diego offense trying to get going again.
Rengifo has also been swinging it well at Triple-A, where he was hitting .320 with two homers in six games. The Padres could be hoping that recent power shows up at the big-league level.
“I just feel my timing [is better],” Rengifo said of the adjustments he’s made. “They helped me with some mechanical stuff, and I feel really, really good. Just continue to do that.”
Reyes, for now, will begin as organizational depth for the Angels. One wrinkle: he’s out of options, so if he gets promoted, Anaheim can’t simply bounce him back and forth to Salt Lake.
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