Angels Lose Outfielder in Free Agency to National League Team: Report

Angels third baseman Zack Cozart (7) tags out Seattle Mariners left fielder Ben Gamel (16) to end the fifth inning at Safeco Field on May 6, 2018. | Jennifer Buchanan-Imagn Images

Veteran outfielder Ben Gamel was one of 13 Angels minor leaguers who elected free agency on Nov. 6.

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After an injury-plagued 2025 season that saw him play only 32 games with Triple-A Salt Lake, Gamel is heading to the National League in hopes of continuing his major league career.

According to Aram Leighton of Just Baseball, the Braves are signing Gamel to a minor league contract.

The Braves and outfielder Ben Gamel have agreed to a minor league deal, sources tell @JustBB_Media

Gamel, 33, owns a .716 OPS over parts of 9 MLB seasons. Battled injuries last year, only playing 49 games for Angels and Tigers AAA affiliates, but OPS'd .914 with 8 HR.

— Aram Leighton (@AramLeighton8) December 5, 2025

Gamel, 33, last appeared in the big leagues in 2024, playing 38 games for the Houston Astros and New York Mets.

Prior to that, the Angels saw plenty of Gamel with the American League West rival Seattle Mariners from 2016-18.

Gamel has played 723 career games in his career with the New York Yankees (2016), Mariners, Milwaukee Brewers (2019-20), Cleveland Guardians (2021), Pittsburgh Pirates (2021-22), San Diego Padres (2023), Mets and Astros.

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The Florida native has a career slash line of .252/.334/.382 with 41 home runs, 204 RBIs, and 22 stolen bases in his major league career.

The Angels signed Gamel to a minor league contract in June. He slashed .282/.417/.612 in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, but never received a promotion to the major league outfield despite some obvious needs.

Angels outfielders ranked last among the 30 MLB teams in batting average (.214) last season. They collectively ranked 29th in on-base percentage (.287).

Angels outfielders also posted the worst strikeout rate (28.4 percent) in MLB last season. Gamel, who had a 22.8 percent strikeout rate at Salt Lake, might have been able to help move the needle in the right direction.

But the Angels can likely aim higher after trading outfielder Taylor Ward to the Baltimore Orioles for pitcher Grayson Rodriguez in November. The blockbuster trade further depleted the Angels' outfield talent pool around Mike Trout, Jo Adell, and Jorge Soler — who still has one year and $16 million left on the contract he signed with the San Francisco Giants in February 2024.

Gamel does not represent a major loss to the Angels, but neither does it help answer the question of who will comprise the starting outfield in Anaheim in 2026.

A few internal options remain — Bryce Teodosio, Kyren Paris, Matthew Lugo — with 20-year-old prospect Nelson Rada waiting in the wings. The Angels might simply take that group of outfielders into spring training if they're wary of blocking Rada's path to a major league job in 2026.

The Angels could also turn to a veteran on a short-term contract in free agency or the trade market — particularly with Trout and Soler perhaps better suited to DH.

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