Angels sign former Astros, Rays outfielder to minor-league deal

The Los Angeles Angels made a modest veteran addition to their outfield Saturday, bringing Jose Siri aboard on a minor-league deal, as reported by Will Sammon of The Athletic. The agreement includes an invitation to major league spring training, with Jon Heyman of the New York Post reporting that Siri would earn $1.6 million if he is selected to the Angels’ 26-man roster. The deal contains opt-out clauses at the end of spring training and again on June 1 if Siri’s contract is not selected, per Ari Alexander of 7 News.

An injury-shortened and largely fallow 2025 season with the New York Mets precedes Siri’s move to Anaheim. The Mets traded for Siri from the Tampa Bay Rays in November 2024, sending right-hander Eric Orze in return, hoping he would improve their center-field defense. Instead, his season took an abrupt turn on April 21, when he fractured his left tibia after fouling a ball off his leg against the Athletics. Though initially projected to miss eight to ten weeks, lingering soreness kept him sidelined until September 9.

After returning, Siri appeared in just 16 games for New York. He finished his Mets tenure going 2-for-32 (.063) with one RBI, two stolen bases, and four walks, producing a .292 OPS across 36 plate appearances. New York designated him for assignment on September 24, outrighted him to Triple-A Syracuse three days later, and Siri elected minor league free agency on September 29.

Before joining the Mets, Siri built a defensive reputation with the Houston Astros and Rays between 2022 and 2024. Public defensive metrics consistently rated him as a strong center fielder during that span. Offensively, he showed power and speed, hitting 43 home runs over the 2023 and 2024 seasons and stealing 45 bases in 58 career attempts. However, contact issues have limited his overall offensive profile. Over 1,222 major league plate appearances, Siri has struck out 442 times and owns a career slash line of .206/.263/.400.

Defense seems to be the main motivator behind Los Angeles’s interest. Jo Adell will likely be the Angels’ primary center fielder despite posting minus-13 Defensive Runs Saved and minus-8 Outs Above Average at the position this past season. Josh Lowe, acquired from Tampa Bay, has taken the field for only 156 career innings in center field and profiles better in a corner. Jorge Soler and Mike Trout are also likely to split time between left field and designated hitter, with Soler’s defensive limitations influencing roster construction.

Bryce Teodosio currently profiles as Los Angeles’s fourth outfielder but has only 55 major league games of experience. Kyren Paris and Matthew Lugo also have sparse big league experience, with Paris primarily a middle infielder. Within that context, Siri provides a glove-first veteran option who can compete for a bench role during spring training.

The post Angels sign former Astros, Rays outfielder to minor-league deal appeared first on ClutchPoints.