With big league spring training right around the corner, clubs are assembling players old and new to get ramped up for the upcoming season. Former Angels are chief among them, with old Halos played signing minor league deals left-and-right these days. Of late, Jesse Chavez, Chris Rodriguez, and Jake Lamb are familiar faces to find new places to compete for jobs.
We've signed RHP Jesse Chavez to a minor league contract with an invite to Major League Spring Training. pic.twitter.com/MWLAgpxSEu
— Texas Rangers (@Rangers) January 27, 2025
Jesse Chavez's career has been a wild ride, ever since debuting as a 24-year-old back in 2008. Chavez, who the Atlanta Braves once traded to the Angels alongside Tucker Davidson in exchange for Raisel Iglesias, will enter his 18th season as a member of the Texas Rangers organization. The now 41-year-old has pitched for nine different teams, but the Rangers will not be his tenth as it is his third time signing with the Rangers.
Chavez first signed with Texas in 2018, after spending the 2017 season with the Angels. Before the 2018 trade deadline, the Rangers traded Chavez to the Cubs. After playing the rest of the year with the Cubs then becoming a free agent, he re-signed with the Rangers on a two-year deal.
After playing out his deal, the Angels re-signed Chavez in 2021 on a minor league deal...for exactly a month before cutting him. Little did they know that they would wind up trading their star closer in Iglesias for Chavez a year later in 2022. They certainly did not envision cutting Chavez less than a month after trading for him, only for him to just go back to the Braves anyway. He has stayed with the Braves ever since. Well, until now.
Jake Lamb and Chris Rodriguez are also trying to continue their major league careers post-Angels
Jake Lamb to Giants. Minors deal. $1M if in majors. Invite to MLB spring camp.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) January 28, 2025
Lamb and Rodriguez have both not seen the big leagues since they were with the Angels. Lamb was a flier taken by Perry Minasian before the 2023 season. Just like they do now, the Angels needed infield depth so they subsequently added Lamb. Known for his bat, and much less so for his glove, Lamb transitioned from a full-time third baseman to a utility man over his career to try and shoe-horn his left-handed bat into lineups. Lamb has tantalizing pop at the plate, always flashing above average exit velocities throughout his career. At his peak in 2016 and 2017, Lamb clubbed a total of 59 home runs with the Diamondbacks. He earned an All Star appearance in '17. He has played for six different teams since 2020, though. Perhaps he finds his way back to the big leagues with the Giants at some point in 2025.
"C-Rod" was a high-priority player for the Angels for many seasons, but his career has been marred by frequent injuries. Drafted by the Angels in the 4th round of the 2016 MLB Draft, Rodriguez ended up debuting in 2021 after breaking spring training with the big league team. He was a revelation that season, pitching highly effectively for a month until a shoulder injury landed him on the shelf. After a month of rehab, the Angels activated Rodriguez. He pitched sparingly and was a lesser version of himself, so they optioned him to AA Rocket City to try and have him figure some things out. After his option in June, 2021, Rodriguez would only make two more appearances that season with the Angels. He has not been back to the big leagues since.
He did not pitch the entirety of 2022, and the Angels waived C-Rod after the 2023 season after only totaling 2.2 innings. He was claimed by the Diamondbacks, and spent the majority of last season with AAA Reno as a converted reliever. He now joins the White Sox, where he will be reunited with many former Angels staffers, and hopefully he can spend all of next season healthy.