Halos' non-tenders come in pre-arbitration group
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ANAHEIM -- The Angels tendered contracts to all of their players eligible for salary arbitration but non-tendered two pre-arb players, outfielder Gustavo Campero and catcher Sebastián Rivero, on Friday, the deadline to tender contracts.
The Angels have six players eligible for arbitration -- lefty reliever Brock Burke, outfielder Jo Adell, left-hander Reid Detmers, right-hander José Soriano, catcher Logan O'Hoppe and shortstop Zach Neto.
The decision to non-tender Campero was a bit of surprise, especially after the Angels traded left fielder Taylor Ward to the Orioles. Campero, 28, was expected to give the Angels some outfield depth but has struggled to hit in the Majors. He posted a slash line of .202/.272/.346 in 41 games over the last two seasons, with four home runs, 14 RBIs and seven stolen bases.
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Campero saw his 2025 season end on Aug. 11, when he sustained a gruesome ankle injury up against the fence while trying to rob a homer in the right-field corner. He returned to play in the Dominican Winter League this offseason, but again struggled offensively. Through 11 games, he had a .111 batting average, one homer and two RBIs for Toros del Este.
The Angels have an outfield that includes Mike Trout, Jorge Soler, Bryce Teodosio and Adell. Matthew Lugo and Kyren Paris offer depth. But the club is in the market for a true center fielder, preferably a left-handed bat. Nelson Rada, ranked by MLB Pipeline as the organization’s No. 7 prospect, isn’t quite ready.
Rivero, meanwhile, was called into action late in the season with O'Hoppe and Travis d'Arnaud both dealing with concussions. The 27-year-old hit .182 with two doubles and two RBIs in 11 games.