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Ramos, Cowgill non-tender candidates for Angels

ANAHEIM -- Teams have until 8:59 p.m. PT on Wednesday to tender contracts to their unsigned players, and for the Angels, reliever Cesar Ramos and outfielder Collin Cowgill could be on the bubble.

There's a decent chance both will be tendered contracts, but it's no certainty.

Angels' Hot Stove Tracker

Ramos is heading into his final season before free agency and is projected by MLBTradeRumors.com to make $1.7 million in 2016. The 31-year-old lefty was acquired from the Rays for pitching prospect Mark Sappington last offseason, and he turned in a solid season, posting a 2.75 ERA, a 1.34 WHIP and a 2.87 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 65 appearances.

But Ramos was low in Mike Scioscia's bullpen pecking order, used largely in mopup duty. Starter-turned-reliever Jose Alvarez became Scioscia's main matchup lefty down the stretch, even though he, like Ramos, is better-suited for multiple innings.

Cowgill, 29, has been a key fourth outfielder for the Angels the past 2 1/2 years, serving as a late-game defender, pinch-runner and occasional starter against left-handed pitching. The scrappy right-handed hitter is controllable for three more years and projects to make only $1 million in arbitration this winter, so it would be very easy to keep him on the roster.

Video: LAA@TEX: Cowgill avoids pickoff, steals third base

If the Angels decide to non-tender Cowgill, it would be with aspirations of continuing to upgrade their bench. Cowgill -- an outstanding defender but an underwhelming hitter -- sports a career .236/.299/.334 slash line and was limited to 55 games in 2015 because of a sprained right wrist.

The Angels are roughly $20 million below the $189 million luxury-tax threshold, which has basically acted as their spending limit the last handful of years.

Starters Garrett Richards (projected to make $6.8 million in arbitration) and Hector Santiago ($5.1 million), right fielder Kole Calhoun ($3.6 million) and reliever Fernando Salas ($2.2 million) are also arbitration-eligible this offseason. The Angels plan to tender Salas a contract.

Alden Gonzalez is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @Alden_Gonzalez and Facebook , and listen to his podcast.
Read More: Los Angeles Angels, Collin Cowgill, Cesar Ramos