Los Angeles Angels load up the bullpen, bring in another relief with a hefty price tag
The Los Angeles Angels continue to load up on relievers this offseason. For a team whose Achilles heel was pitching last year, General Manager Perry Minasian and owner Arte Moreno have seemed to make it their personal mission to improve the Angels' pitching staff. As reported by Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, right-handed relief pitcher Ryan Tepera has agreed to a contract totaling $14 million over two years.
Tepera gets $14M for 2 years on Angels deal
"Tepera gets $14M for 2 years on Angels deal" - @ Jon Heyman
Move could get Los Angeles Angels to the playoffs
Tepera, a 34-year-old middle reliever, has enjoyed a steady career in the major leagues. However, he seemed to have turned a corner last year, pitching for both teams in Chicago. He started strong with the Chicago Cubs before moving to their cross-town rivals the Chicago White Sox. With the Sox, Tepera asserted himself as one of the most dominant non-closers in Major League Baseball. He cut his walk rate in half and closed the season with the White Sox averaging 1.3 strikeouts per inning. He hopes to bring that same dominance to the Los Angeles Angels, as the second relief pitcher to sign with the ballclub on Thursday. Earlier in the day, the Los Angeles Angels signed another right-handed reliever, Archie Bradley.
Free-agent reliever Archie Bradley has agreed to a one-year, $3.75M contract with the Angels, source tells @TheAthletic.
"Free-agent reliever Archie Bradley has agreed to a one-year, $3.75M contract with the Angels, source tells @TheAthletic." - @ Ken Rosenthal
Bradley is a little less stable an acquisition for the Los Angeles Angels, as his career has been hampered by injuries. He allows a lot of baserunners; however, it is a low-risk move for a team looking to add more depth to their pitching staff.
For Los Angeles, this seems to complete the makeover of a pitching staff in desparate need of reinforcements. Prior to the lockout, the Los Angeles Angels struck quickly and added high caliber arms Noah Syndergaard and Aaron Loup. Syndergaard is hoping to reestablish himself as a dominant pitcher with a triple-digit fastball after rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. Loup is looking to continue his run as one of the best left-handed relief specialists in the game. These moves, in tandem with the acquisitions of Tepera and Bradley, give the Angels a well-rounded, stable bullpen behind closer Raisel Iglesias. With a stable pitching staff and an offense centered around Mike Trout, Anthony Rendon and reigning MVP Shohei Ohtani, the Halos are shaping up to be one of the most-improved teams in the American League.