Angels Cut Reliever Who Had 2.84 ERA Last Year From Spring Roster

The Los Angeles Angels are in the midst of trimming down their roster to get it down to the MLB-mandated 26-man level.

While the final starting pitcher in the rotation and the rest of the bullpen is still to be decided, a somewhat head-scratching decision was made on the latest roster cut.

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Right-hander Hans Crouse will start the season in Triple-A Salt Lake as he is one of the casualties of the latest roster cuts.

RHP Hans Crouse has been optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake.

The #Angels Spring Training roster now stands at 39 players.
— Angels PR (@LAAngelsPR) March 12, 2025

Crouse pitched in 25 games for the Angels last season, throwing 34 strikeouts to 17 walks. His ERA was an impressive 2.84.

In Triple-A last season, he was just as productive in his 29 games. This time it was 59 strikeouts to only 13 walks over 31.2 innings for an ERA of 2.27.

“I saw a little bit of inconsistency,” Manager Ron Washington said of Crouse. “He’d have a day out there where he’s really, really, really doing what he wants to do, and and then some days are difficult. He’s going to help us. At some point this year, he really is.”

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The Dana Point, CA native split time between Anaheim and Salt Lake City as he started the year in Triple-A, spent a large part of the summer playing for the Angels, and then closed the year in the minors with the exception of one major league game in September.

Growing up around 35 miles from the ballpark that he hopes to once again pitch in should be enough of a reason to keep working to make it back in 2025.

At just 26 years old, Crouse can continue to develop in Triple-A, and if he puts up similar number to last season, he should be a mainstay for the Halos in no time.

The Angels are not the first major league team the right-hander has played for as his first experience in the show was with the Texas Rangers. The 2021 season saw him make just two starts, pitching seven total innings with an ERA of 5.14.

With so many question marks surrounding the Angels' pitching roster this season, fans shouldn't be surprised to see Crouse back in the majors at some point this season.

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