Inside The Dodgers

Former Dodgers Prospect Signs Minor League Contract With Angels

Maren Angus-Coombs

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
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Imanol Vargas had a decent five-year run in the Los Angeles Dodgers minor league system but when he became a free agent at the end of the 2023 season, his agent’s phone never rang.

​​He launched 22 home runs with the Double-A Tulsa Drillers last year, and his 114 wRC+ suggested Vargas would be a great addition to any major league franchise. Instead, he was forced to find a new route to the big leagues and signed with the Milwaukee Milkmen of the independent American Association.

The Milkmen were prepping for the start of their season in May and finally, Vargas got the call he had been waiting for. He signed a minor league contract with the Los Angeles Angels on May 1 and was assigned to the Low-A Inland Empire 66ers. He has struggled, batting .111 with three hits and three RBIs in 27 at-bats.

Baseball America’s Matt Eddy highlighted Vargas among last year’s minor league free agents to watch. He wrote that “Vargas’ raw power is apparent in his 114 mph max exit velocity and extreme damage on contact. The issue has been making enough contact to take full advantage. Vargas doesn’t chase much out of the zone but can be beat in the zone with good stuff.”

The left-handed hitter appeared in 456 minor league games across four levels. The last time he played in the Low-A California League was for Rancho Cucamonga in 2021 when he hit 17 home runs in 72 games.

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Maren Angus-Coombs

MAREN ANGUS-COOMBS

Maren Angus-Coombs was born in Los Angeles and raised in Nashville, Tenn. She is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State and has been a sports writer since 2008. Despite growing up in the South, her sports obsession has always been in Los Angeles. She is currently a staff writer at the LA Sports Report Network.