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The Angels have swung a minor deal to acquire outfielder Kirk Nieuwenhuis from the Mets in exchange for cash, as first reported by Adam Rubin of ESPN.com. Nieuwenhuis was recently designated for assignment by New York and was subject to waivers if the team did not find a trade partner on Wednesday.
Nieuwenhuis, 27, was just 3-for-38 in 27 games for the Mets this season, lowering his all-time line to .230/.302/.374 in 226 games over parts of four major-league seasons. The former third-round pick (2008) has played all three outfield positions for the Mets since breaking into the bigs in 2012.
The Angels have known to be looking for left field help as a result of Matt Joyce's prolonged struggles, so the addition of Nieuwenhuis as depth behind Joyce, Mike Trout and Kole Calhoun makes sense. The team has also used former Met Collin Cowgill and Marc Krauss as backup options in the outfield, but Cowgill has struggled mightily at the plate and Krauss is likely to be optioned as a result of today's trade.