Angels finally replace their worst offseason signing with a slightly better version

The Angels' last series before the MLB trade deadline came against the Texas Rangers, and how LAA fared in those three games was going to dictate how Arte Moreno wanted Perry Minasian to operate the phones. In the opening matchup, Jacob deGrom took the mound opposite Jack Kochanowicz and Angels fans braced for the worst. In the third inning, Kevin Newman clubbed a 2-run home run off the future Hall of Famer and the Angels actually somehow went on to win 6-4 in that theoretically one-sided matchup (baseball is the best).

ESPN's Buster Olney suggested that victory over the Rangers, kicked off by Kevin Newman, convinced Moreno to encourage Minasian to buy at the deadline...and at the deadline, Minasian decided to replace Kevin Newman.

Angels finally replace their worst offseason signing with a slightly better version

After the Angels traded Wilberon de Peña and international cash to the New York Yankees in exchange for Oswald Peraza (not Oswaldo Cabrera), Newman got DFA'd. Newman was a part of the Angels' free agency class that consisted of Yoán Moncada, Kyle Hendricks, Travis d'Arnaud, Tim Anderson, Nicky Lopez and JD Davis (the Angels traded for Jorge Soler, did not sign him). Newman started playing in more games of late as the team's starting third baseman against left-handed starting pitchers, as Moncada is unable to hit lefties right now, but he largely was relegated to the bench the whole season.

If the Angels were going to have a full-time bench player hanging around, might as well opt for the younger (Peraza is 25, Newman is 31), cheaper option (Peraza is pre-arb) who is far better defensively. Peraza is posting a 2.4 defensive fWAR on the whole, including a 1.9 mark at third base and 1.1 at second, while Newman has a -0.8 overall defensive fWAR. Peraza is the literal and spiritual successor to Nicky Lopez and Newman for this team.

Some Yankees fans have used the phrase "worst hitter I've ever seen" in reference to Peraza, which is unfortunate because he was a starting shortstop for the Yankees in an ALCS. Some Angels fans have used the phrase "worst hitter I've ever seen" in reference to Newman, which is unfortunate because he was one of the two position players Minasian signed to major league deals in the offseason. Peraza certainly will hold a roster spot through the rest of 2025 with the Angels, and could have a path to playing time in 2026 with Yoán Moncada and Luis Rengifo coming off the books after the season.

How much will fans see Peraza play? Well, Christian Moore is going to come back soon (and the Angels will subsequently axe Scott Kingery) so Moore, Moncada and Rengifo will primarily cycle through third and second base while Peraza watches from the dugout. Hopefully Peraza has a nice smile that the cameras will capture during an Angels in-game highlight, as that is basically all that fans will see this year.

Is this basically a Tyler Wade 2.0 move? Indubitably. Peraza's still better than Kevin Newman, though.

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