The Angels have signed 29-year old righty reliever Mark Lowe to a minor league deal.  Lowe pitched in 36 games (0 starts) for the Rangers last year and he was 0-2 with a 3.43 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP.  Lowe has now pitched in 253 games (0 starts) in his first seven years in the majors and he is 7-20 with 5 saves, a 3.94 ERA and a 1.43 WHIP.  This was a good signing for the Angels as Lowe has an outstanding arm.

The Angels have dealt 34-year old righty swinging outfielder Vernon Wells to the New York Yankees for 21-year old lefty swinging outfielder Exicardo Cayones and 24-year old lefty reliever/starter Kramer Sneed.  Wells played in 77 games for the Angels last year and he was 56 for 243 (.230 avg, .682 OPS) with 36 runs scored, 11 homers, 29 RBIs and 3 stolen bases.  He played in 208 games in his two years with the Angels and he was 166 of 748 (.222 avg, .667 OPS) with 96 runs scored, 36 homers, 95 RBIs and 12 stolen bases.  The Yankees are going to pick up $14 million of the $42 million owed to Wells over the next two years and that is why the Angels didn’t get good prospects back.  Cayones played in 47 games in A-ball for the Yankees last year and he was 36 of 158 (.228 avg, .665 OPS) with 22 runs scored, 1 homer, 15 RBIs and 7 stolen bases.  He has now played in 196 games in his first four years in the minors and he is 164 of 629 (.261 avg, .730 OPS) with 99 runs scored, 2 homers, 83 RBIs and 21 stolen bases.  Sneed pitched in 31 games (4 starts) in A-ball for the Yankees last year and he was 0-7 with a 5.37 ERA and a 1.65 WHIP.  He has now pitched in 76 games (21 starts) in his first three years in the minors and he is 6-19 with a 4.39 ERA and a 1.37 WHIP.

The Angels have lost 28-year old lefty starting pitcher Brad Mills off waivers to the division rival Texas Rangers.  Mills pitched in 3 games (1 start) this spring for the Angels and he was 1-0 with a 6.00 ERA and a 1.33 WHIP.  He pitched in 1 game (1 start) for the Angels last year and he was 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA and a 0.60 WHIP.  He also pitched in 21 games (19 starts) in AAA-ball for the Angels last year and he was 5-10 with a 5.86 ERA and a 1.59 WHIP.  This isn’t much of a loss for the Angels.

The Angels have signed 32-year old righty swinging catcher Chris Snyder to a minor league deal.  He is going to have a really solid shot of winning the backup catcher job for the Angels for 2013.  He played in 76 games for the Astros last year and he was 39 for 221 (.176 avg, .602 OPS) with 23 runs scored, 7 homers and 24 RBIs.  Snyder has now played in 706 games in his first 9 years in the majors and he is 465 of 2,067 (.225 avg, .714 OPS) with 227 runs scored, 77 homers and 297 RBIs.  This was a good pickup for the Angels.

The Angels have acquired 25-year old righty reliever Mike Cisco from the Phillies for literally nothing.  Cisco pitched in 40 games (0 starts) in AA+AAA-ball for the Phillies last year and he was 5-3 with 3 saves, a 1.80 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP.  He has now pitched in 127 games (47 starts) in his first five years in the minors and he is 29-22 with 6 saves, a 2.93 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP.  This is a no lose situation for the Angels, as they didn’t give anything up for Cisco.

27-year old righty reliever Bobby Cassevah has rejected an outright assignment to the minors from the Angels and he has become a free agent.  Cassevah pitched in 4 games (0 starts) for the Angels last year and he was 1-0 with a 7.20 ERA and a 2.20 WHIP.  He also pitched in 49 games (0 starts) in A+AAA-ball last year for the Angels and he was 4-1 with 11 saves, a 5.79 ERA and a 1.66 WHIP.  Cassevah pitched in 50 games (0 starts) in his three years with the Angels and he was 3-3 with a 3.20 ERA and a 1.38 WHIP.  This is not a big loss for the Angels.

29-year old switch-hitting 3B Alberto Callaspo will be the full-time starter in 2013.  He played in 138 games for the Angels last year and he was 115 of 457 (.252 avg, .692 OPS) with 55 runs scored, 10 homers, 53 RBIs and 4 stolen bases.  Callaspo played in 131 games (122 starts) for the Angels at 3B last year and he had 12 errors there while showing average range.  Callaspo has now played in 733 games in his first seven years in the majors and he is 680 of 2,469 (.275 avg, .719 OPS) with 282 runs scored, 37 homers, 257 RBIs and 22 stolen bases.  33-year old righty swinging Bill Hall could make the team and be Callaspo’s backup, if he has a good spring.  Hall played in 7 games for the Orioles last year and he was 2 for 9 (.222 avg, 1.056 OPS) with 2 runs scored, 1 homer and 1 RBI.  He also played in 90 games in AAA-ball last year in which he was 84 of 342 (.246 avg, .730 OPS) with 38 runs scored, 15 homers, 45 RBIs and 2 stolen bases.  Hall has now played in 1,054 games in his first 11 years in the majors and he is 827 of 3,334 (.248 avg, .744 OPS) with 450 runs scored, 125 homers, 440 RBIs and 62 stolen bases.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE THIRD BASEMEN IN 2013:  C+

The Angels have signed 30-year old righty reliever Chad Cordero to a minor league deal.  Cordero did not pitch at all last year.  Cordero last pitched in the majors back in 2010 with the Seattle Mariners.  Cordero has pitched in 314 games (0 starts) in his first seven years in the majors and he is 20-15 with 128 saves, a 2.89 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP.  He led the major leagues in saves back in 2005 with the Washington Nationals (47).  It never hurts to give a guy like Cordero a chance to see if he has anything left in the gas tank.

The Angels have signed 34-year old righty reliever Hiroyuki Kobayashi to a minor league deal.  He didn’t pitch at all last year.  In  his last six years in Japan, Kobayashi has pitched in 171 games (68 starts) and he is 26-36 with 29 saves, a 3.65 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP.  Kobayashi will be a longshot to win a spot in the Angels’ bullpen this spring.

UPDATE:  (3/4/2013) - The Angels have released Hiroyuki Kobayashi.

The Angels have signed 33-year old righty swinging 2B/3B/OF Bill Hall to a minor league deal.  Hall played in 7 games for the Orioles last year and he was 2 for 9 (.222 avg, 1.056 OPS) with 2 runs scored, 1 homer and 1 RBI.  He also played in 90 games in AAA-ball for the Orioles last year and he was 84 of 342 (.246 avg, .730 OPS) with 38 runs scored, 15 homers, 45 RBIs and 2 stolen bases.  Hall has played in 1,054 games in his first 11 years in the majors and he is 827 of 3,334 (.248 avg, .744 OPS) with 450 runs scored, 125 homers, 440 RBIs and 62 stolen bases.  Hall will be a longshot to win a bench job this spring for the Angels.

UPDATE:  (3/23/2013) - The Angels have released Bill Hall.  Hall played in 4 games for the Angels in spring training and he was 3 for 9 (.333 avg, 1.000 OPS) with 1 run scored and 4 RBIs.  The Angels should be o.k. without Hall.

UPDATE II:  (4/7/2013) - The Angels have re-signed Bill Hall to a minor league deal and they have sent him to AAA.

UPDATE III:  (5/18/2013) - The Angels have released released Bill Hall.  Hall played in 21 games in AAA-ball for the Angels and he was 12 of 73 (.164 avg, .515 OPS) with 4 runs scored, 1 homer and 7 RBIs.