The Angels filled their utility infield vacancy by signing veteran Cliff Pennington to a two-year, $3.75-million deal on Tuesday.
Pennington, 31, figures to fill the role held by Taylor Featherston last year and John McDonald in the previous season. Neither of those players, at opposite ends of their careers, provided the offense that Pennington can.
A switch-hitter, Pennington is a career .245 hitter with a .657 OPS. Last year he hit .254 with a .690 OPS, which is just about league average for a middle infielder. He split his season between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Toronto Blue Jays.