Former Angels Shortstop Signs With AL West Rival

Angels pinch runner Andrew Velazquez (4) steals second base as Oakland Athletics shortstop Nick Allen (2) cannot handle the throw during the seventh inning at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on Sept. 2, 2023. | D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

Andrew Velazquez's last major league at-bat came with the Angels in 2023.

His next might come with an Angels division rival.

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Velazquez finalized a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers on Tuesday. The glove-first shortstop spent the 2025 season with the New York Yankees' Triple-A affiliate. He slashed .242/.304/.345 in 106 games with the Scranton Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.

A native of the Bronx, Velazquez spent the 2021 season with the Yankees before joining the Angels on a waiver claim in November 2021.

Over the next two seasons, Velazquez slashed .191/.242/.300 (52 OPS+). The emergence of Zach Neto in 2023 effectively ended whatever future Velazquez had as the Angels' long-term shortstop.

Velazquez set a career-high playing in 125 games in 2023, his first season in Anaheim. While he batted .196 with a .236 on-base percentage, he excelled defensively, logging more than 900 innings at shortstop.

However, Velazquez's defensive performance declined the next year, leading the Angels to place him on waivers in September.

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The timing of Velazquez's signing with the Rangers is interesting, amid trade rumors surrounding shortstop Corey Seager. The Rangers have already traded second baseman Marcus Semien, one pillar of their 2023 championship run, to the New York Mets. A trade of Seager could be the next domino to fall.

While Velazquez is no worse than a competent defender at the major league level, he wouldn't be expected to replace Seager — or any MLB shortstop — as a full-time starter.

Velazquez spent the 2024 season in Triple-A with the Braves. He displayed power and speed, hitting 16 home runs and stealing 33 bases, but his offensive numbers were modest overall, slashing .242/.298/.394 with a strikeout rate nearing 33 percent in 473 plate appearances.

The 31-year-old holds a career .189/.244/.293 slash line across 624 MLB plate appearances.

For the second consecutive offseason, Velazquez is playing in the Puerto Rican Winter League. In 24 games for the Santurce Cangrejeros, he is hitting .198 (18 for 91) with three walks and 16 strikeouts.

For an Angels team that's surely tired of seeing Seager (a five-time All-Star and two-time World Series MVP), the return of Velazquez to the big leagues holds particular rooting interest. The more they see of him in the division next year, the less they'll see of one of their toughest opponents.

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