Angels News: Feel-good player gets call, "Just Dingers" departs, pitcher mulls future

As the Angels plummet in the standings and are clinging tightly to any postseason hopes, they are constantly re-shuffling their roster by taking fliers on players who might just mitigate their glaring weaknesses. Few teams have been more desperate than the Angels of late, as they attempt to turn their season around amidst a dreadful stretch of baseball.

Angels News: Feel-good player gets call while "Just Dingers" departs

Gustavo Campero has one of the best stories in baseball. To call the rise to the big leagues last season meteoric might be an understatement. Campero's a former catcher who was constantly put on developmental lists -- which means he was a glorified bullpen catcher -- at both Double-A and A-Ball. Then, out of nowhere, Campero became an outfielder and started to rake at a rate nobody expected. The Angels had no choice but to keep promoting him.

In 2023, Campero slashed .337/.414/.644 with 12 home runs at pitcher-friendly Tri-City. In 2024, he posted great offensive numbers for both Rocket City and Salt Lake before the Angels brought him up to play him 13 games when their season was over. This offseason, "Campy" seemed like a logical DFA candidate, but the team stuck by him and he will now embark on his second stint in Anaheim.

In Campero's entire MLB and MiLB career (at an affiliate), which spans back to 2021, he has posted low strikeout numbers and great bat-to-ball skills. Are you starting to see why the Angels prefer his talents to J.D. Davis' right now? The Angels need to round out their lineup with players who can put balls in play, a talent they severely lack right now.

Davis was striking out at a 33.3% clip, which was the third worst of all Angels hitters this season (Logan O'Hoppe and Kyren Paris have worse K%s). To make matters worse, "Just Dingers" unfortunately did not hit a single dinger or draw a walk with the Angels. With Nolan Schanuel avoiding serious injury (he is starting against the Mariners tonight), the team did not require Davis to fill in at first base for him any longer.

Davis was signed to a minor league contract in the offseason, so he did not have any minor league options for the Angels to utilize. It will be interesting to see if he accepts an outright assignment back to Triple-A Salt Lake or seeks an opportunity elsewhere if he clears waivers. He had a solid 2023 season, but since then his production's cratered.

Carl Edwards Jr. mulls his options

Speaking of maybe seeking alternative choices, Carl Edwards Jr. just cleared waivers and needs to choose between Salt Lake and another potential destination. The Angels used him in two games and he posted mediocre results, meaning that he might not have the most bountiful free agent market. The Angels sure do seem like the best choice for him to get back to the Show, given how poorly the bullpen has fared this season.

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