Walton has played in six of the past seven MLB seasons, although 49 of his 72 games in the Show came in 2021-2022 for the Mariners and Giants. After signing a minor contract with the Mets last offseason, Walton was traded to the Phillies in July and continued to toil on the farm until his contact was selected to Philadelphia’s active roster in September. Walton made a pair of starts at second base while the Phils dealt with a rash of injuries in the infield, but those two appearances represented Walton’s full playing time in the majors through 2025.
The 31-year-old has hit just .172/.223/.298 in 214 at-bats with the bigs in his career, but Walton’s ability to play center infield positions as well as third base and left field has helped him be seen as a bench player on a number of occasions. He has hit quite well in Triple-A ball (.281/.365/.435 over 1479 PA), but it might be a stretch to expect those numbers to translate into MLB success this late in Walton’s career.
Having a veteran utility player as a depth option on the 26-man roster or at Triple-A makes sense for an Angels team that is thin in the infield. While Vaughn Grissom was acquired in a trade from the Red Sox, the second and third base positions are still question marks in Los Angeles. The Angels plan to bring in at least one player at the keystone or hot corner as an everyday option, leaving Walton and company to compete for part-time duty or a bench role.
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