Angels pull the plug on power-hitting first baseman after signing Matt Moore

The Los Angeles Angels continued to fortify their bullpen by signing Matt Moore to a one-year deal. The Angels have addressed what was clearly a huge weakness of last season's team by signing five different relievers to MLB deals with the last two being huge additions.

Robert Stephenson and Moore are two late-game relievers to pair with Carlos Estevez and can help turn what was arguably the biggest weakness of last season's team into potentially the biggest strength of the 2024 team. That says a lot about the rest of the roster, but the bullpen does in all seriousness look good.

To make the Moore deal official, the Angels had to part with a player who was currently on their 40-man roster, as that was full. The player who lost his spot was Trey Cabbage which is a bit surprising, but not a huge shock.

Angels DFA power hitting minor leaguer as corresponding move for Matt Moore

Trey Cabbage was a player who excited many Angels fans last season because of the damage he caused in AAA. The 26-year-old had a monster year, slashing .306/.379/.596 with 30 home runs and 89 RBI in just 107 games. He tacked on 32 stolen bases (in 35 tries) and hit 25 doubles as well while playing in the outfield and seeing time at first base.

His dominant season in AAA earned Cabbage the chance to show he belonged at the MLB level. He appeared in 22 games for the Angels and stepped to the plate 56 times but had just a .553 OPS and struck out 26 times in 53 at-bats. Nearly half of the time.

Cabbage had some exciting moments including his go-ahead RBI single in the eighth inning of a September game against the Orioles. His first MLB home run was a majestic shot as well.

The tools are there, but the reason the Angels felt comfortable parting with him is because his ability to hit MLB pitching should be questioned. He has the similar power and speed upside that Jo Adell has, but like Adell, doesn't put bat to ball enough to put either trait to good use.

It's a bit surprising to see the Angels give up on Cabbage given the fact that he'll likely get claimed by another team, but it's hard to fault the Angels for cutting bait on a player who did not show that he can make enough contact to survive at the MLB level. This could be a decision that hurts the Angels down the line if a team in the division opts to claim him, but will more likely than not be an inconsequential one.