Pitcher Ryan Johnson to skip minors as Angels firm up Opening Day roster
ANAHEIM — The Angels made the final day of spring training an eventful one by announcing a litany of roster moves.
Angels general manager Perry Minasian delivered a clear message to players and fans during his press conference on Tuesday: if a player can help the team win games, they will be on the team and if they aren’t performing, they won’t be.
“I’m big on your actions speak louder than your words and when we tell our players, ‘the players that we feel are going to help us win games are the ones that are going to make the team,’ I’m big on following through with that,” Minasian said.
Minasian backed up those words by parting ways with underperforming veteran outfielder Mickey Moniak and relief pitcher Jose Quijada. He also designated recently acquired relief pitcher Angel Perdomo for assignment.
Moniak, 26, had a promising 2023 season with an .802 OPS, but had a .646 OPS in 2024 and struggled with a .606 OPS during spring training.
Quijada, 29, was designated for assignment Tuesday after posting a 13.50 ERA during spring training. He made his Angels debut in 2020 and underwent Tommy John surgery in 2023. Quijada returned in July of last season and had a 3.26 ERA in 22 games.
Perdomo, 30, was acquired on March 17 in a trade with the Atlanta Braves for a player to be named or cash considerations. He had Tommy John surgery in 2023 and missed the 2024 season. Perdomo allowed four hits and four unearned runs against the Dodgers on Sunday.
“We just had guys that pitched better,” Minasian said of Perdomo.
The two vacant bullpen spots went to 2024 second-round draft pick Ryan Johnson and Rule 5 pick Garrett McDaniels.
Johnson signed with the Angels but never appeared in a minor-league game last summer after throwing 106 innings in his junior season at Dallas Baptist. He is in line to be the first player to debut without playing a minor-league game since pitcher Garrett Crochet did so with the Chicago White Sox in 2020 and will be the first Angel to do so since pitcher Jim Abbott in 1989.
“He proved that he’s mature even though he hasn’t had any professional experience and he throws strikes,” Angels manager Ron Washington said of Johnson. “I think he can fit good in our bullpen. We didn’t give him anything. He took the job.”
Since the implementation of the draft in 1965, only 23 players before Johnson have been moved straight to the big leagues.
“It’s a surreal moment, just unreal, coming back here and texting so many people I know just like, ‘hey. I did this,’” Johnson said. “I’m just going out there and doing my job and if the guys up top think I’m ready for it, then I’m just going to go with it.”
The 6-foot-6 Johnson had a 3.97 ERA during spring training with 10 strikeouts in 11⅓ innings. He allowed one run in two innings Monday and opened the game by striking out Shohei Ohtani.
McDaniels, 25, was a Rule 5 pick from the Dodgers and had 108 strikeouts in 92⅓ innings in the minor leagues in 2024.
Minasian also announced that utility man Kyren Paris and infielder Tim Anderson have made the Opening Day roster.
Paris, 23, has arguably performed better than any Angels player during spring training. He has a 1.116 OPS with a .400 batting average and has shown he can play center field.
“You can sit here and say he’s a young player, he needs to play everyday and I understand that,” Minasian said of Paris. “But from a messaging standpoint when you ask somebody to do something and they follow through, even enhance what you ask them to do and they come in and have arguably the best camp in that room … looking at the underlying things he accomplished, we felt he should be on this team.”
Anderson, a former All-Star with the White Sox, signed a minor-league deal this offseason with an invitation to spring training. He has a .644 OPS this spring and has played shortstop and second base.
The Angels made an outside addition to the roster and signed infielder Nicky Lopez to a one-year, $850,000 deal. Lopez, who is known for his defense, had a .606 OPS in 124 games with the Chicago White Sox in 2024.
He previously spent five seasons with the Kansas City Royals and had a short stint with the Atlanta Braves in 2023. Washington was on the coaching staff during his time with the Braves.
Washington announced after Tuesday’s game that third baseman Yoán Moncada, who has been out with a thumb injury since March 12, passed all medical tests and will be on the 26-man Opening Day roster.
Washington believes the roster is improved from last season and says there are reasons to be optimistic.
“I think if we keep everyone’s presence here that we depend on, then we’re going to do a good job competing and winning ball games,” Washington said.
UP NEXT
Angels (LHP Yusei Kikuchi, 9-10, 4.05 ERA in 2024) at White Sox (RHP Sean Burke, 2-0, 1.42 ERA in 2024), Thursday, 1:10 p.m., FanDuel Sports Network, 830 AM