Angels acquire Yunel Escobar for Trevor Gott, Michael Brady

Yunel Escobar

Yunel Escobar/Photo courtesy of Washington Nationals

 

The Angels on Thursday traded relief pitcher Trevor Gott and Double-A pitcher Michael Brady to the Washington Nationals for third baseman Yunel Escobar.

Escobar, 33, is from Cuba. He has a career batting average of .281 over nine seasons with 78 home runs and 449 RBIs. In 2015 – his only season with the Nationals – Escobar batted .314 with nine home runs and 56 RBIs. He had a career-high 168 hits.

The hard-throwing Gott, 23, had a solid rookie season for the Angels in 2015. He went 4-2 with an ERA of 3.02 in 48 relief appearances.

Brady, 28, spent 2015 with Double-A Arkansas. He went 7-7 with an ERA of 3.77 in 32 appearances – 19 of them starts.

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Angels sign catcher Geovany Soto to a one-year contract

Photo of Geovany Soto

 

 

 

Geovany Soto/Photo courtesy of BaseballReference.com

 

A day after catcher Chris Iannetta signed a 1-year contract with the Seattle Mariners, the Angels replaced him by signing catcher Geovany Soto to a 1-year contract.

The accord was announced by general manager Billy Eppler.

Soto, 32, has played 11 years in the big leagues. He has a career batting average of .246 with 101 home runs and 343 RBIs. However, he batted just .219 with nine home runs and 21 RBIs in 78 games and 187 at-bats in 2015 with the Chicago White Sox.

Soto was National League Rookie of the Year in 2008 with the Chicago Cubs, when he hit .285 with 23 home runs and 86 RBIs.

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Angels bring back Ron Roenicke as their third-base coach

Ron Roenicke/Photo courtesy of Associated Press

 

 

Ron Roenicke is returning to the Angels after five years away.

Roenicke, a 1974 graduate of Edgewood High School in West Covina, on Wednesday was hired as third-base coach, taking over for Gary DiSarcina. DiSarcina will move over to coach first while previous first-base coach Alfredo Griffin becomes infield coach.

The moves were announced by general manager Billy Eppler.

Roenicke previously was third-base coach (2000-05) and then bench coach (2006-10) for the Angels before accepting the managerial job with the Milwaukee Brewers. Roenicke led the Brewers to the NL Central Division title in his first season at the helm in 2011.

The Brewers went 83-79, 74-88 and 82-80 the next three seasons. Roenicke was then fired after Milwaukee started the 2015 season with a 7-18 record.

Roenicke caught on with the Dodgers, coaching third for them from Aug. 17 through the rest of the season.

The hiring of Roenicke, 59, reunites him with Angels manager Mike Scioscia.

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Angels sign utility infielder Cliff Pennington to 2-year deal

Cliff Pennington

Cliff Pennington/Photo courtesy of Los Angeles Angels

 

The Angels on Tuesday signed veteran utility infielder Cliff Pennington to a two-year contract.

Pennington played for the Arizona Diamondbacks and Toronto Blue Jays in 2015, batting a combined .210 with three home runs, six doubles and 21 RBIs.

Pennington, 31, has a career batting average of .245 with 30 home runs, 211 RBIs, 110 doubles and 19 triples over eight seasons. He is a switch hitter.

“We are thrilled to add Cliff to the roster,” general manager Billy Eppler said. “His defensive versatility, along with a veteran presence in the clubhouse, will be welcomed additions to the club.”

 

 

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