ANAHEIM, Calif. — The Angels have reached an agreement with infielder Nick Madrigal on a minor league contract, adding a low-risk depth piece to an infield that remains very much in flux. The deal includes a non-roster invitation to major league camp, giving Madrigal an opportunity to compete for a spot on the Opening Day roster if he can show he is fully healthy.
Madrigal is coming off a lost 2025 season after spending the entire year on the injured list. He had signed a $1.35 million free-agent contract with the Mets last winter, hoping to carve out a role as a versatile utility infielder.
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That plan was derailed during Spring Training, when he suffered a serious left shoulder injury while fielding a ground ball. Surgery followed, and the injury immediately ended his season before it ever began. New York ultimately removed him from the roster once the offseason arrived, sending the former top pick back into free agency.
Selected fourth overall by the White Sox in the 2018 draft, Madrigal’s professional career has not matched the expectations that came with his draft status. His profile has always been built around elite bat-to-ball skills rather than power.
He is among the toughest hitters in baseball to strike out, consistently putting the ball in play and controlling the strike zone. However, that contact has rarely translated into damage. Across parts of five major league seasons, Madrigal owns a .274/.323/.344 career slash line with just four home runs, limiting his overall offensive impact.
As he enters his age-29 season, Madrigal now finds himself trying to reestablish his value and earn another chance in the majors. Anaheim offers a realistic path to do exactly that. The Angels’ current second and third base situation is unsettled, with few established options.
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Christian Moore struggled with swing-and-miss issues and finished his debut season with modest offensive results, while Denzer Guzman has raised concerns due to high strikeout rates in the minors. The organization has also taken flyers on former highly regarded prospects like Vaughn Grissom and Oswald Peraza, neither of whom has yet proven himself at the big league level.
That uncertainty creates an opening for a player like Madrigal. He has experience at both second and third base, though his limited arm strength is better suited to the right side of the infield. If healthy, his contact-oriented approach could offer a different look from the rest of the group, particularly for a lineup that has struggled with consistency.
For the Angels, the signing represents a sensible gamble with minimal downside. For Madrigal, it’s a chance to reset his career, prove his shoulder is sound, and show that his elite contact skills can still translate into meaningful major league value.