Top prospects Bremner, Klassen headline Halos' non-roster invitees
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ANAHEIM -- With exactly a week before Angels pitchers and catchers hold their first Spring Training workouts, the club announced its list of non-roster invitees to camp on Wednesday, highlighted by top prospect Tyler Bremner (No. 81 overall, per MLB Pipeline).
Bremner, the No. 2 overall pick in last year’s Draft, is one of several of the club’s top prospects invited to camp, joining others such as fellow right-handers George Klassen (Halos' No. 3), Chase Shores (No. 6), Chris Cortez (No. 10), Nate Snead (No. 15), Joel Hurtado (No. 22) and Austin Gordon (No. 30); lefty Samy Natera Jr. (No. 20); catcher Juan Flores (No. 17); and outfielders Nelson Rada (No. 7) and Raudi Rodriguez (No. 25).
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They join several notable veterans with big league experience such as first baseman/outfielder Trey Mancini, second baseman Nick Madrigal, and relievers Nick Sandlin and Tayler Saucedo. The Angels also have reported Minor League deals with reliever Miguel Castro, third baseman Jeimer Candelario and center fielder Jose Siri, but they haven’t been announced by the club yet.
It'll mark the first Spring Training for Bremner, a right-hander with a fastball that can reach triple digits and a plus-plus changeup he displayed at UC Santa Barbara. Given how quickly the Angels move their prospects, he could make his debut as early as this season, so he’ll get a chance to make an impression this spring.
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The 21-year-old is one of several young arms in camp, as he joins others already on the 40-man roster such as Caden Dana, Ryan Johnson (No. 2 prospect), Sam Aldegheri (Angels' No. 13 prospect), Walbert Urena (No. 24 prospect), Jack Kochanowicz, Victor Mederos and Mitch Farris.
It’s also an important spring for Rada, who is considered the club’s center fielder of the future. He’s just 20 years old, but he reached Triple-A Salt Lake for the first time last year, and he displayed his on-base skills, stolen-base ability and defensive prowess in his time there. The Angels are in need of a true everyday center fielder, and Rada could fit that bill soon while giving them an option atop the lineup.
As far as the veterans, Mancini is interestingly reunited with Brady Anderson, who is the club’s new hitting coach and helped Mancini turn around his career in Baltimore. Mancini, 33, is a career .263/.328/.448 hitter in parts of seven seasons in the Majors, and he averaged 28 homers a season with Baltimore from 2017-19, though he hasn't played in the big leagues since 2023. Anderson, though, convinced Mancini to play last year for Arizona’s Triple-A affiliate and he slashed .308/.373/.522 to earn a Minor League contract with the Angels this winter.
Madrigal will also bring some competition to second base, as youngster Christian Moore is the favorite to start there, but he still has plenty to prove. Moore, the No. 8 overall pick in the 2024 Draft, will compete with Oswald Peraza and Vaughn Grissom for the starting job at second. Madrigal, 28, was the No. 4 overall pick in the 2018 Draft by the White Sox, but he has hit .274/.323/.344 in parts of five seasons in the Majors and missed last season with a broken left shoulder.
Sandlin, 29, will compete for a bullpen role, and the right-hander has a career 3.19 ERA with 239 strikeouts in 211 2/3 innings over five seasons in the Majors, including a 2.20 ERA in 16 1/3 frames with Toronto last year. Saucedo, 32, gives the Angels a relief option from the left side, and he has a career 4.36 ERA with 112 strikeouts in 128 innings in parts of five years in the big leagues. But he had a 7.43 ERA in 13 1/3 innings with Seattle last year.
They’re two of several non-roster relievers with Major League experience who will be in camp, joining right-handers Angel Perdomo, Shaun Anderson and Huascar Ynoa.