Reliever Reynolds claimed by Dodgers
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The crosstown-rival Dodgers claimed hard-throwing reliever Danny Reynolds off waivers from the Angels on Monday, the first full day of the Winter Meetings.
Reynolds is 24 years old and has yet to make his Major League debut, but he throws his fastball in the upper 90s and backs it up with a solid slider.
A sixth-round Draft pick out of high school in 2009, Reynolds posted solid numbers after moving from the rotation to the bullpen for the '14 season, finishing the year with a 2.90 ERA and 9.1 strikeouts per nine innings in mostly Class A Advanced and Double-A.
That prompted a move to the 40-man roster to protect him from exposure in the 2014 Rule 5 Draft. But Reynolds struggled in Double-A the ensuing year, posting a 4.57 ERA and a 1.43 WHIP in a typically pitcher-friendly environment, striking out 10.4 batters and walking 5.8 per nine innings. Reynolds was ranked No. 24 among the Angels' top prospects, according to MLBPipeline.com.
The Angels now have six open spots on the 40-man roster.
Worth noting
• Angels general manager Billy Eppler, when asked if he has engaged his former boss, Yankees GM Brian Cashman, in a potential trade: "No, we tend to get on the phone and make fun of each other more than anything else. And he's winning that battle, too."
• Jeremy Zoll, who was the Angels' scouting director and helped determine which plays would be challenged via replay, recently joined the Dodgers as senior manager of player development. Zoll will help manage roster moves, rehab schedules and prospect timelines.