Angels’ Amir Garrett has new mindset in hopes of career rebound

CLEVELAND — After he was released by a third team within a year, Amir Garrett was pitching in Triple-A with the Angels when he got some career-altering advice from an old friend.

Garrett, a 32-year-old left-hander who broke in the majors as Joey Votto’s teammate with the Cincinnati Reds, said Votto gave him the message he needed to hear last month.

“You’re too good not to be in the big leagues,” Votto told Garrett.

Votto went further and told Garrett that he needed to stop pitching defensively.