Former Dodgers Top Prospect DFA’d By One of MLB’s Worst Teams
The Angels designated veteran designated hitter Willie Calhoun for assignment, according to Alden Gonzalez of ESPN. The former Dodgers top prospect had a .695 OPS in 68 games with the Angels this season.
The Angels are 52-69, fourth place in the American League West, after getting swept by the Toronto Blue Jays at home this week. The team is embracing a younger roster as it heads for its ninth straight losing season while auditioning veterans.s
Calhoun was one such veteran. A non-roster invitee in spring training, he batted .297 with a .366 on-base percentage and .459 slugging percentage in 18 Cactus League games. But he batted only .245, with five homers in 68 games, amid uneven playing time in the regular season.
For Calhoun, it’s the end to yet another chapter in a career that began with much promise. The Dodgers traded Calhoun in 2017 as the key piece in a package that allowed them to acquire Yu Darvish — the prize of a trade deadline that also saw Justin Verlander move from Detroit to Houston.
Calhoun, 29, has played for four organizations since June 2022, when the Rangers designated him for assignment. He’s a career .241 hitter with 42 home runs and 140 RBIs in 369 career games with the Rangers, San Francisco Giants, New York Yankees and Angels.
According to Jorge Castillo of ESPN, the Angels are calling up infielder Jack Lopez. Lopez, 31, has seven games of major league experience with the Boston Red Sox in 2021. He had been playing at the Angels’ Triple-A affiliate since last year.
In 104 games with the Salt Lake Bees, Lopez was slashing .274/.333/.421 while seeing time at six positions.
Photo Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
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