The depth was further depleted when Duffy landed on the injured list with back spasms. The season-ending injury to Anthony Rendon created a hole at third base, further stretching this infield crew to cover three positions instead of two. Fletcher struggled through 14 games before hitting the injured list and won’t return until around the All-Star break. The middle infield was arguably the team’s weakest area going into the season, with a mix that included David Fletcher, Matt Duffy, Andrew Velazquez, Tyler Wade and Luis Rengifo. The Angels will pay Villar the prorated league minimum for any time he spends on the roster, with that amount being subtracted from what the Cubs pay.įor the Angels, this is a way of trying to bolster an infield mix that is in serious need of bolstering. With around $3.4MM left to be paid out, the Cubs will be on the hook for most of the remainder of that. Signed by the Cubs in the offseason to a one-year, $6MM deal, Villar has struggled this year to the point that Chicago designated him for assignment and released him last week. The club’s 40-man roster is presently full, meaning someone will have to be subtracted in order to make room for his addition. The team has not yet confirmed the deal nor announced any corresponding moves. He isn’t likely to return within the next couple of months, making today’s transaction largely a formality.ġ0:50am: MLBTR has confirmed Villar is in agreement with the club on a major league deal.Ĩ:20am: The Angels are reportedly signing infielder Jonathan Villar, according to Hector Gomez of Z101 Digital. Bradley was recently shut down for at least four weeks with an elbow fracture, after which he’ll need time to get back into game shape. To create room on the 40-man roster, reliever Archie Bradley was transferred to the 60-day IL. Projected Arbitration Salaries For 2022ġ:50pm: The Angels have officially announced the signing, with catcher Matt Thaiss optioned to Triple-A to create space on the active roster.