Infielder is rejoining the Angels on a minor league contract, according to Jon Heyman of The New York Post and Sam Blum of The Athletic. He was designated for assignment by the Angels earlier this week and subsequently cleared waivers, electing free agency rather than accepting an outright to Triple-A. However, he’s now returned to the organization on a new deal.
The 32-year-old originally signed with the Angels this past offseason on a minor league deal. He impressed in a short stint at Triple-A, hitting .297/.357/.486 over 10 games, which earned him a call-up after Yoán Moncada went on the injured list. Despite this, he only received nine plate appearances over nearly three weeks in the majors before being DFA’d.
He has shown offensive potential in the past. Between 2019 and 2023, he posted a .268/.352/.443 slash line with 63 home runs and a 119 wRC+ across 1,804 plate appearances. He has experience at third base, first base, and left field, though he’s considered just average defensively at first.
His last year or so has been turbulent. He won an arbitration case against the Giants, earning a $6.9 million salary, but was waived after the team signed Matt Chapman. He received $1.11 million in termination pay before signing a $2.5 million deal with the A’s.
An injury (right adductor strain) disrupted his time in Oakland, and he was later traded to the Yankees, where he also landed on the injured list. He ended 2024 on a minor league deal with the Orioles.
Injuries and inconsistent playing time contributed to a rough 2024 season, during which he hit .218/.293/.338 with an 86 wRC+. Through 166 plate appearances this year, he’s batting .212/.283/.325.
The Angels currently have uncertainty at the infield corners. Nolan Schanuel and Luis Rengifo are holding down first and third base but haven’t performed especially well. Rengifo offers versatility, and bench options Tim Anderson and Kevin Newman are better suited to middle infield roles. First baseman Niko Kavadas is inexperienced at the MLB level.
Davis will report to Triple-A Salt Lake, where he’ll try to find his rhythm and give the Angels another potential option at the corners.
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