Angels Acquire Infielder From NL East Contender In Rare May Trade

The former Braves and Mets infielder bolsters the Angels' ailing infield.

Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

The Los Angeles Angels have traded for Atlanta Braves infielder Luis Guillorme for a player to be named later or cash. In a corresponding roster move, the Angels transfered third baseman Anthony Rendon to the 60-day injured list, relayed via the team's official Twitter/X account:

OFFICIAL: The Angels have acquired INF Luis Guillorme from the Atlanta Braves in exchange for a player to be named later or cash considerations. pic.twitter.com/oAYXTifAw4

— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) May 9, 2024

Guillorme, 29, signed with the Braves on a one-year, $1.1 million deal in January. He had previously spent his entire major league career with the New York Mets. Guillorme has struggled this year so far, slashing .150/.190/.250 with three hits, two runs, zero home runs, and three RBIs for the Braves while appearing in nine games. The Braves have one of MLB's best lineups, and Guillorme was unable to find consistency or hit enough off the bench during his short stint with the team. Overall in his career, Guillorme has slashed .258/.341/.331 with five home runs and 51 RBIs.

Now, Guillorme will add to the infield for a struggling Angels team that is 14-23. While the Angels have won their last two games, they are still have the third-worst record in the American League.

On Wednesday, veteran infielder Brandon Drury exited a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates with a hamstring injury. Although the severity of Drury's injury and the duration of his absence remains to be determined, the Angels are missing half of their Opening Day infield at the moment.

Meanwhile, the oft-injured Rendon heads to the 60-day IL. Rendon injured his hamstring last month and has been out since April 20. Transfering a player from the 10-day IL to the 60-day IL is essentially a procedural move. It doesn't necessarily change the timetable of Rendon's projected return date, but it allows the Angels to add a player to their 40-man roster while he recuperates.

Still, Rendon's seven-year, $245 million contract from 2019 doesn't look any better in light of this move. The veteran third baseman has been unable to stay on the field the last three years. He has yet to play at least 60 games with the Angels during any of his seasons with the team, despite playing in more than 130 games during five of his seven seasons with the Washington Nationals. He also has not displayed the All-Star form that he did with the Nationals in Los Angeles, when he hit over .300 from 2017-19, and instead hampers the Angels.