The Los Angeles Angels continue their offseason trend of taking fliers on veterans who had one to two excellent seasons in MLB, especially on the pitching side of the ball. 

This winter, they’ve signed Kirby Yates, Alek Manoah, Drew Pomeranz, and Jordan Romano. 

Los Angeles looked to upgrade their corner infield production with their latest move, signing third baseman Jeimer Candelario to a minor league contract on Monday. Candelario’s deal includes an invite to spring training, and the New York Post’s Jon Heyman reports he will earn $780,000 if he makes the club. 

Why signing Candelario makes sense for Angels 

Longtime Angels utility man Luis Rengifo is a free agent, and a return to Los Angeles does not seem likely. Rengifo’s potential return became less likely when third baseman Yoan Moncada re-signed with the Angels this past weekend. 

A player with Candelario’s experience is good depth for the Angels to have in case of injury. He is a career .237/.315/.411 hitter since making his debut with the Chicago Cubs in 2016. 

Candelario unlocked some untapped potential during his six seasons with the Detroit Tigers, hitting 65 of his 110 career home runs there while leading MLB with 42 doubles in 2021. 

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