Angels Make Trade, Send Utility Man To Red Sox

The Angels found a taker for Ryan Noda.

Four days after designating the 29-year-old utility man for assignment, the Angels traded Noda to the Boston Red Sox for cash considerations on Thursday.

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Noda had yet to appear in a major league game for the Angels this season. He had been slashing .148/.364/.270 at Triple-A Salt Lake, with four home runs in 38 games.

Noda hit 22 home runs for the A's Triple-A Las Vegas affiliate in 2024. Now he'll look to regain his power stroke in Boston, where the Red Sox had been looking for a first baseman since Triston Casas suffered a season-ending knee injury May 2.

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The Angels couldn't afford to be patient with Noda, given the needs of their major league roster. With first baseman Nolan Schanuel slashing a capable .277/.366/.403, and their bullpen in disarray (their 6.66 ERA through Wednesday ranks 30th in MLB) the Angels DFA'd Noda in order to make room for Hunter Strickland.

Strickland was pitching in Salt Lake on a minor league contract and had to be added to the 40-man roster before he could be promoted.

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Selected by the A's in the 2022 Rule 5 draft out of the Los Angeles Dodgers' farm system, Noda slugged 16 home runs in 128 games as a rookie in 2023. He finished the season with a .229/.364/.406 slash line (118 OPS+) while seeing time at first base and both corner outfield positions.

Noda split last season between Oakland and Las Vegas. He was claimed off waivers by the Angels in November 2024.

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Noda played 25 Cactus League games with the Angels and slashed .182/.449/.364 in 33 Cactus League at-bats.

In 164 career games, all with Oakland, Noda slashed .212/.344/.369 (.713 OPS). He has hit 17 home runs and driven in 58 runs.

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Noda was originally drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 15th round of the 2017 MLB Draft out of the University of Cincinnati. The Illinois native spent parts of five seasons (2017-22) in the minor leagues before his debut, losing all of the 2020 campaign to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Dodgers acquired Noda from the Blue Jays in the trade that sent recently retired right-handed pitcher Ross Stripling to Toronto.

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