Venezuela’s infielder Ehire Adrianza swings and misses during the Caribbean Series baseball game between Venezuela and the Dominican Republic at LoanDepot Park in Miami, Florida, on February 1, 2024. (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP) (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images)
By Matthew Tallarini
World Baseball Network
Venezuelan infielder Ehire Adrianza signed a minor league contract with the Los Angeles Angels, El Extrabase reported on February 16.
Adrianza’s contract requires a physical examination by the Angels’ medical staff.
Adrianza, 34, was born in Guarenas, Venezuela, and has played 11 seasons in Major League Baseball, appearing with the San Francisco Giants from 2013-16, the Minnesota Twins from 2017-20, the Atlanta Braves in 2021 and 2023, and the Washington Nationals in 2022. Adrianza returned to Atlanta on Aug. 1, 2022 in exchange for second baseman Trey Harris and finished the 2022 season with the Braves.
Adrianza elected free agency on October 2 prior to him signing with the Angels.
During the 2023-24 winter league season, Adrianza played in the Liga Venezolana de Beisbol Profesional with the Tiburones de La Guaira, and in 19 games, he batted .230 with 14 hits, four doubles, one triple, three home runs, 10 RBI, 11 walks, and 12 strikeouts.
Adrianza helped the Tiburones de La Guaira win their first Caribbean Series title on Feb. 9 in Miami at loanDepot Park, beating the 2023-24 LIDOM champion Tigres del Licey 3-0 in the championship game. In the Caribbean Series, Adrianza started in three games and did not record a hit over 12 plate appearances, scoring one run, stealing one base, walking twice, and striking out twice.
Last season with the Braves, Adrianza landed on the 10-day injured list with a right elbow inflammation on May 5, 2023, after playing five games with the organization he had 11 plate appearances and did not record a hit, walking once and striking out four times.
Adrianza was sent on a rehab assignment to High-A Rome on May 11 and was placed on the 60-day injured list on May 19 with his an elbow inflammation in his throwing arm.
Adrianza was activated on Sept. 5 and assigned to High-A Rome. He played in seven games, batting .316 with six hits, two doubles, four RBI, one stolen base, four walks and two strikeouts before being promoted to Triple-A Gwinnett on Sept. 12.
He played in eight games with Triple-A Gwinnett to finish the 2023 season and batted .143 with four hits, two doubles, two walks, and three strikeouts.
In the 2022-23 winter league season with the Tiburones de La Guaira, Adrianza played in 21 games, hitting .225 with 16 hits, three doubles, five RBI, 19 walks, and 11 strikeouts.
During the 2022 season, Adrianza played with the Nationals organization and split time between Double-A Harrisburg and Triple-A Rochester. Adrianza played in 31 games in the nation’s capital batting .171 with 94 plate appearances recording 15 hits, two doubles, seven RBI, eight walks, and 22 strikeouts. Adrianza also landed on the 10-day injured list on April 7, 2022 with a left quad strain and was activated on May 24, 2022.
With Double-A Harrisburg and Triple-A Rochester, Adrianza played in 14 games during his rehab assignments hitting .341 with 52 plate appearances smacking 15 hits, two doubles, two home runs, five RBI, five walks, and 10 strikeouts before he was traded to Atlanta on Aug. 1, 2022.
Adrianza played in six games for Atlanta during the 2022 season, hitting .154 with two hits, one double, three walks, and three strikeouts.
Adrianza went back on the 10-day injured list on Aug. 12, 2022 before he was assigned to Triple-A Gwinnett on Aug. 18, 2022. Adrianza played in three games with Triple-A Gwinnett and hit .273 in 12 plate appearances recording three hits, walking once, and striking out three times.
Adrianza was injury prone once again in 2022 and landed on the 10-day injured list on September 16, 2022 with a strained left quadricep and was later activated on September 24, 2022.
In his 11 seasons in MLB, Adrianza has played in 617 games with a lifetime average of .238 in 1,548 plate appearances smacking 325 hits, 75 doubles, nine triples, 21 home runs, 149 RBI, 19 stolen bases, 127 walks, 301 strikeouts, and a .659 OPS.
Adrianza will add to the Angels’ infield depth during spring training, and will join a group that includes younger infielders Kyren Paris, Zach Neto, and Michael Stefanic, who will compete for a role off the bench for Los Angeles in 2024.
The Angels will play their first game of spring training against the Los Angeles Dodgers at 3:10 p.m. EST at home at Tempe Diablo Stadium in Tempe, Ariz. on February 24. The Angels first full squad workout is on Feb. 19.