Angels DFA once promising reliever as with Brett Phillips signing official

The Los Angeles Angels signed Brett Phillips to be the fourth outfielder. Phillips was the 41st player on the Angels 40-man roster so once the deal became official, the Angels had to DFA someone. That someone ended up being Austin Warren, a guy who looked really promising in 2021 but had a down year this past season.

Austin Warren is the roster casualty following the Brett Phillips signing.

Austin Warren burst onto the scene in the second half of the 2021 season and looked really good. He had a 1.77 ERA in 16 appearances allowing just four earned runs in 20.1 innings pitched. In those innings he issued just five walks and struck out 20 batters. It looked like he'd be a nice piece in the Angels bullpen in 2022.

Warren wasn't as effective as he was in 2021 and he dealt with injuries as well, missing time due to triceps issues. In just 14 appearances he had a 5.63 ERA, allowing ten runs in 16 innings pitched. He struck out just nine batters.

The decision to DFA Warren over someone like Davis Daniel, Jose Marte, or even Michael Stefanic is pretty puzzling to me, but the Angels must like the stuff Daniel and Marte has more than Warren.

Stefanic is an interesting case because of how many infielders the Angels have now. I'm not sure if//when he'll get a chance, but I understand holding onto him.

Now we wait and see if Warren gets claimed. Coming off the year he just had it's possible he passes through waivers. With how many teams need relievers it's very possible the 26-year-old is claimed. The Angels should be fine either way with all of the relievers they signed to minor league deals acting as the next man up.