Angels option pitcher Hector Yan to minors

The Angels optioned pitcher Hector Yan on Wednesday, one of the few roster cuts so far in spring training.

Signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2015, the left-hander was added to the 40-man roster after the 2019 season. Yan pitched in one game this spring, allowing two runs on four hits while recording two outs against Arizona on March 4, and surrendered a home run to Daulton Varsho.

So far in spring, with no structured minor league camp just yet amid the pared-down camps under MLB health and safety protocols, the transactions have been few and far between. The Angels optioned pitcher Jose Quijada on March 2, and sent pitcher Gerardo Reyes outright to the minors on March 5, removing him from the 40-man roster.

Links

• Alex Cobb’s velocity was up on Wednesday, writes Jeff Fletcher at Orange County Register.
• Noah Frank previews the Angels season for Baseball Prospectus.
• In BP’s “Why PECOTA hates your team” series, Ben Carsley writes, “If the Angels are going to get any more out of this group than they did a year ago it’s going to have to come from two of the more interesting and at times infuriating young talents in the game: Shohei Ohtani and Jo Adell.”
• Norm Sherry, who managed the Angels in parts of the 1976 and 1977 seasons, died at age 89 this week. A.J. Cassavell at MLB.com has more on Sherry, whose .517 winning percentage (76-71) is fourth-best in franchise history.
• Among the hitters Dan Szymborski at FanGraphs picked as busts in 2021 was Angels outfielder Justin Upton.