Angels Sign Veteran Outfielder Who Played for Multiple AL West Rivals

The Los Angeles Angels signed outfielder and first baseman Ben Gamel to a minor league contract Saturday.

The Angels assigned the veteran to Triple-A Salt Lake, but he is yet to make an appearance for the Bees.

The Detroit Tigers signed Gamel to a minor league deal this year, though he got injured after 17 games in the organization and was released May 21. He has not made an appearance in MLB since 2024.

Gamel made his debut in 2016 and has played with the New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners, Milwaukee Brewers, Cleveland Guardians, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Diego Padres, New York Mets and Houston Astros.

Gamel has hovered around batting league average for nearly his entire career with an OPS+ of 96. He is a career .252 hitter and has 41 home runs to his name.

Gamel played 38 games in 2024 split between the Mets and Astros but had arguably the best major league stretch of his career, slashing .247/.384/.333 with on OPS+ of 113.

Gamel's arrival comes at a time where Angels outfielders place last in MLB in batting average and on base percentage, and strike out more than any other American League team. Gamel's career 24.6% strikeout rate is more than four percent better than the Angels' outfielders' collective 28.8% mark this season.

The Angels traded for LaMonte Wade Jr., who also plays first base and outfield, from the San Francisco Giants Sunday, so Gamel will likely contend for the same spot as him at the major league level. Wade is hitting just .167 this year, and is on track to have his worst season in MLB so far.

With their new outfield additions, the Angels will hope they can claw themselves back into the chase for the American League West, as they currently sit in fourth place, 5.5 games behind the Seattle Mariners.

For more Angels news, head over to Angels on SI.