After being designated for assignment by the Red Sox, Sean Coyle has been claimed by the Los Angeles Angels.
Sean Coyle has been claimed off of waivers by the Los Angeles Angels. Coyle, 24, was designated for assignment by the Red Sox to make room on the 40-man roster for Michael Martinez. Once considered a higher-end prospect in Boston’s farm system, Coyle’s value has dropped significantly in the past two seasons due to a combination of injuries and poor production.
Today the #Angels claimed INF Sean Coyle off waivers from the Red Sox and have optioned him to Double-A Arkansas (@ARTravs).
— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) July 18, 2016
So far this season, Coyle has posted a stat line of .165/.263/.280/.543 between Portland and Pawtucket. This is a big difference from the promise he showed in 2014, with a line of .295/.371/.512/.883 playing for Portland. It just gives further evidence to the fickle nature of prospects.
This move makes sense for the Angels as even with Coyle’s status dipping quite a bit, he still should rank rather high in their depleted farm system. Meanwhile, the loss of the young infielder will not greatly impact Boston’s system, due to its much larger pool of talent.
Coyle was originally drafted by the Sox in 2010 as a 3rd round pick. An eventual rebound is possible, but unlikely. Only time will tell whether the Red Sox were right to let him go.
Sources: Baseball-Reference.com