Everything seems to be about money for Arte Moreno and the Angels right now. On Wednesday, the team optioned infielder Michael Stefanic and selected the contract of outfielder Brett Phillips, per Angels PR on Twitter.
That move, as Beyond the Halo points out on Twitter, is likely completely financially motivated.
By bringing up Phillips and sending down Stefanic, the team saves about $100 thousand against the luxury tax. Everything helps for Arte, right?
Phillips signed a deal with the Angels this offseason but hasn't exactly panned out as a viable option. In 20 games, the eight-year veteran hit just .077 with one hit, two runs batted in and an OPS of .327.
However, the Angels are already well out of the postseason race, so they'd rather save the extra money instead of fielding their best team.
Stefanic wasn't all that better for the Halos this year, slashing .148/.303/.185 with four hits, three RBIs and an OPS of .488.
Moreno seems to have no intention of selling the team, so he's looking to save money where he can before building a team next season. We saw that when another outfielder was placed back on waivers Wednesday morning.
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