Angels Sign World Series Winning Veteran Reliever Just Ahead of Opening Day

May 3, 2023; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Nationals relief pitcher Carl Edwards Jr. (58) throws to the Chicago Cubs during the seventh inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-Imagn Images | Brad Mills-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Angels have made a pair of late spring moves ahead of Opening Day.

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On Sunday, the Angels traded left-hander Jose Suarez in exchange for former top prospect Ian Anderson from the Atlanta Braves. Anderson is set to start the season in the bullpen.

"We were left-handed heavy in our bullpen and this gives us another opportunity to get another right-hander in there,” Angels manager Ron Washington said of the trade.

The following day, the Angels added another right-hander to the bullpen.

The Angels signed reliever Carl Edwards Jr. to a minor league deal Monday, per MLB insider Aram Leighton.

The Angels and RHP Carl Edwards Jr. have agreed to a minor league deal, sources tell @JustBB_Media.

Edwards, 33, made one MLB appearances with the Padres last year, but pitched to a 3.69 ERA in 31.2 IP with the Nationals in 2023.

— Aram Leighton (@AramLeighton8) March 24, 2025

The 33 year-old rejected an outright assignment from the San Diego Padres in August and elected free agency. He made one appearance for the Friars last season, and allowed the three runners he faced to reach base to create a bases-loaded jam.

In Triple-A Edwards worked both out of the bullpen and rotation, so the Angels will likely be able to get multiple innings from the right-hander.

In 2023, Edwards logged a 3.69 ERA across 31.2 innings pitched with the Washington Nationals. He sustained a stress fracture in his right shoulder, which cut his season short.

Edwards has a 3.54 career-ERA with a 28.1 percent strikeout rate and 12.7 percent walk rate in the big leagues. Most of his Major League innings have been with the Chicago Cubs and Nationals, but the reliever has logged a total of 280 innings between six teams.

The right-hander was once a top prospect for the Texas Rangers, but was part of the return package for Matt Garza.

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