Jared Walsh DFA’d By Angels
Photo courtesy of Rob Leiter | Getty Images
The Los Angeles Angels recently made headlines by making a blockbuster trade with the Chicago White Sox that sent starter Lucas Giolito and reliever Reynaldo López to the City of Angels. To accommodate the acquisitions, the Angels had to make key roster moves.
After moving reliever Ben Joyce to the 60-day IL, the team designated former All-Star first baseman Jared Walsh for assignment.
To many, the move doesn’t come across as a surprise, but more of an inevitable move that was preceded by a series of unfortunate circumstances, especially after the high potential he showed.
Walsh was projected to be the next star for the Angels alongside generational talents Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani.
After making the Opening Day roster, the first baseman finished 7th in the Rookie of the Year vote in 2020. His debut season saw him club nine home runs and a .971 OPS in the COVID shortened 2020 season.
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Walsh continued to have another breakout year in 2021, as he would earn his first All-Star nod and become the Angels’ everyday starter at first base.
The slugger would hit 29 home runs, drive in 98 runs, and put up a slash line of .277/.340/.509 with an .850 OPS. With above-average offensive production and solid defense, fans thought Walsh could become the third perennial All-Star on a stacked Angels roster alongside Trout and Ohtani.
Unfortunately for the Angels, Walsh’s best years were already behind him. The first baseman regressed in 2022 offensively, posting a slash line of .215/.269/.374 with a .642 OPS and only 15 home runs.
In addition to his slumping offense, the injuries would also start to pile up.
In late August, Walsh’s 2022 season would come to a close after being diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome, a condition signaled by constant arm pain and weakness.
The organization would later reveal that the first baseman had been playing through this injury for the majority of the 2022 season, and after receiving surgery on September 1st, the expectation for many fans was for Walsh to return to his All-Star form from 2021.
The 2023 season raised more concern. His health and mental condition began to spiral, and the the first baseman was sidelined for the majority of the first half of the season with neurological illnesses.
Walsh had been suffering from persistent headaches, insomnia and an inability to complete everyday activities, and sought professional help.
After months of battling, rehabilitation, and training with doctors, Walsh would eventually make his return to the active roster in May and underperform significantly.
In 28 games, Walsh batted .119 and only hit one home run and was considered a 70% worse hitter than league average by OPS+ standards.
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After posting a -0.6 WAR for the 2023 season, the Angels pulled the plug and DFA’d the former All-Star to make room for their new acquisitions from the White Sox.
At the age of 29, Walsh still has time to make a potential come back to the MLB, and has proven that he can be an All-Star caliber player when healthy.
While an unfortunate end to what appeared to be a promising Angels career, the move does give Walsh more time to step away from baseball and focus on maintaining a healthy lifestyle whilst overcoming the mental obstacles he faced.
With Walsh off the roster, the Angels now look to go all out and make a playoff push for the AL Wild Card with the newly acquired Giolito and Lopez.
