TEMPE, Ariz. — This time last year, Kevin Newman was fighting for a spot in the majors, and it wasn’t going well.
Newman was actually released by the Arizona Diamondbacks just before Opening Day.
What happened after that is the reason that Newman’s situation has changed so much, 12 months later.
Newman re-signed with the Diamondbacks on a minor-league deal, played briefly at Triple-A, and then became the everyday shortstop in the majors when Geraldo Perdomo was hurt in the first week of April.
Now, Newman has a guaranteed $2.75 million deal with the Angels, and he’s likely to be their everyday shortstop until Zach Neto is ready. The Angels signed Newman just days after Neto underwent shoulder surgery in November.
“All that stuff is nice, but still coming to spring training is just to get ready and compete for a job,” Newman said. “As much as it’s nice to know I have that security, there’s definitely still things that you need to come in and do every single day, just being a pro and getting ready for the season.”
Newman, 31, came to the Angels with a reputation as a slick-fielding, versatile player.
The Pittsburgh Pirates took him with the 19th overall pick in the 2015 draft, out of the University of Arizona. By 2019, he was the Pirates’ everyday shortstop, and he produced an OPS of .800. He spent the next few years struggling to return to that level with the Pirates and the Cincinnati Reds, to the point that a minor-league deal with the Diamondbacks was the best he could do heading into 2024.
“It wasn’t something I expected, coming off the ’23 season,” Newman said. “But that’s just how it goes sometimes. I decided to go to Arizona. We saw it as a good fit, and ultimately it worked out.”
The Diamondbacks won 89 games last season, and Newman was a key piece. He filled in at shortstop for two months while Perdomo was out.
By the end of the season, Newman played 55 games at shortstop, 44 at second base, 10 at first, six at third and one in the outfield.
Newman hit .278 with a .686 OPS. His 15.4% strikeout rate was better than the major league average, making him a useful player to put the ball in play and keep the line moving at the bottom of the order.
He ranked ninth on the team with a WAR of 2.2, according to Baseball Reference.
“My mentality always has been, when I come to the field, how can I help the team win?” Newman said. “I think just having that mentality, kind of being ready for any situation, whenever your name is called on, you know, just constantly staying ready has just helped me kind of be ready for those situations. I don’t let the moment sneak up on me, for lack of a better term. I’m kind of always ready to do whatever.”
So far this spring, Newman has been at shortstop in every game he’s played, making it clear that he’s the Angels’ choice to play the position until Neto comes back sometime in April.
That said, Manager Ron Washington remains, officially, noncommittal. The Angels also have Tim Anderson, Kyren Paris and Scott Kingery in camp, and all can play shortstop.
“We haven’t made that decision yet,” Washington said.
RENGIFO UPDATE
Infielder Luis Rengifo, who has been slowed by hamstring tightness for a week, participated in some drills on the field on Monday.
“In a couple days, we’re gonna get him in a game, if he passes the tests in the next couple days,” Washington said. “Hamstrings are fickle. It could feel good today and you can make a move and just get ugly tomorrow.”
Rengifo declined an interview request on Monday morning because he was hurrying from the trainers’ room to the field, but he did say that he’s doing better.
Rengifo has played just one game this spring because he missed time with an illness before the hamstring issue. If Rengifo is healthy, he’s an everyday player, either at second or third. He has missed time with injuries each of the last two seasons.
NEXT FOR DANA
Right-hander Caden Dana, the Angels’ top pitching prospect, was optioned earlier this week. The question now is where in the minors he will play.
The Angels have avoided Triple-A with some of their top pitching prospects in the past because Salt Lake – and much of the Pacific Coast League – is such a hitter-friendly environment. Dana, however, dominated Double-A over 23 starts last season, so a return to that level could be viewed negatively.
General Manager Perry Minasian said on Monday that no decision has been made, but he didn’t rule out Triple-A.
“As we get later in camp, we’ll talk about what the things we’re trying to do with each individual pitcher and what puts them in the best place to accomplish those things,” Minasian said. “It boils down to where exactly we are in the development stage. What are we working on? Is it a mentality thing? Is it a pitch-shaping thing? Is it fastball command? Is it working on a particular breaking ball? The elements of where you pitch with the particular thing you’re working on might end up determining where they end up pitching.”
Dana was also added to the Angels’ roster for the Spring Breakout Game, which is a showcase for prospects. Dana replaced Ryan Johnson on the roster. Johnson is still in major-league camp, and Dana isn’t.
There might be further changes to the roster before the game on Saturday. The Angels’ prospects are playing a team of Chicago Cubs prospects.
NO SURPRISE
Right-hander Kyle Hendricks will make his scheduled start in a minor-league game on Tuesday at the Angels’ complex, with left-hander José Suarez instead starting the major-league exhibition game against the Texas Rangers in Surprise.
It’s normal for a veteran like Hendricks to avoid making a trip to Surprise, which is the farthest trip in the Cactus League.