The Los Angeles Angels appear to be moving on from a former All-Star.
Jared Walsh was among a group of six players who were outrighted by the Angels on Monday, according to Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register. Walsh will refuse the assignment and become a free agent after the World Series. As Fletcher notes, the Angels could still re-sign the 30-year-old in free agency.
Walsh made his major league debut with the Angels in 2019 after he had been used as a two-way player in the minors. He suffered an arm injury in spring training prior to the 2020 season and gave up pitching to focus on hitting and playing first base. He batted .293 with 9 home runs and 26 RBI in 32 games that season.
Walsh then enjoyed a breakout in 2021. The Angels released Albert Pujols in part to give Walsh a bigger role, and the slugger delivered. Walsh batted .277/.340/.509 with 29 home runs and 98 RBIs in 144 games and was named an All-Star.
After struggling in 2022, Walsh was diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome. He batted just .215 in 118 games last season and then struggled with insomnia and neurological issues this year. Walsh was sent back to Triple-A after a tough start to the season and continued to struggle when he was called back up in September.
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