ANAHEIM – The Angels released veteran footballer Jose Iglesias ahead of Friday’s game against the Rangers, as they plan to use Jack Mayfield as their main football field for the rest of the season and wanted to give Iglesias the chance to continue with another club.
Iglesias hadn’t started since Aug. 27 and made two mistakes in that game. The ten-year veteran is known for his incredible defense, but made 16 mistakes in 114 games this season, surpassing his maximum career by five.
He also hit .259 / .295 / .375 with eight homers and 41 RBI and recently fought on the plate. He reached .193 with a homer and nine high runs in 24 games in August. Mayfield will now be the usual on the short field with Luis Rengifo as a backup.
“We felt like letting him go, he would have a chance,” Angels manager Joe Maddon said. “He’s not the kind of guy who wants to sit on your bench for a long period of time. He’s just not used to it; this is not who he is. Thus, by doing as we did, you have the opportunity to move forward further. And we have a chance to see Jack there. “
Iglesias, however, will not be eligible for the postseason if he signs with a rival team. He is poised to be a free agent after the season after signing a two-year, $ 6 million deal with the Orioles before the 2020 season. The Angels acquired Iglesias in a low-season trade to throw them into perspective. Jean Pinto and Garrett Stallings.
The Angels filled his spot on the roster by selecting the contract of right-hander Janson Junk of Double-A Rocket City. Junk, ranked number 22 in the club by MLB Pipeline, was acquired on the trade deadline as part of the trade that leftist Andrew Heaney sent to the Yankees.
Junk, 25, has posted an ERA of 2.81 with 97 attacks on 93 entries in Double-A this year. On Saturday he got a perfect match until the ninth inning of his last start.
It is scheduled to start in the Angels on Sunday or Monday against the Rangers, but Maddon said they are still working on how their pitch will look beyond Saturday.
“When we bought it, a lot of guys talked about it really well and when I looked at it, the numbers were good,” Maddon said. “It simply came to our notice then. He really likes it ”.