Angels pitchers and catchers are scheduled for their first workout of the spring on Feb. 15, with a smattering of other players who are on World Baseball Classic Rosters also in attendance. As we count down to the opening of camp, we’re analyzing the various position groups on the roster. Today, the bullpen. Previously: outfielders, infielders, catchers, starting pitchers.
2022 RECAP
The Angels invested heavily in the bullpen but it didn’t work out. Last winter they re-signed closer Raisel Iglesias and added free agent lefty Aaron Loup and righties Ryan Tepera and Archie Bradley. All told, they committed more than $28 million of their 2022 payroll to those four pitchers. All four proved to be disappointments, and the Angels traded Iglesias with a 4.04 ERA in early August. (Iglesias then posted a 0.34 ERA with the Atlanta Braves.) Loup (3.84 ERA) and Tepera (3.61) both pitched poorly early in the season when the Angels fell out of the race and then improved. Bradley was hurt for most of the season. The best story in the Angels’ bullpen was right-hander Jimmy Herget, who the Angels had picked up in 2021 after he was released by the Texas Rangers. Herget pitched to a 2.48 ERA and even got the chance to close some games. Right-hander Jaime Barria (2.61) also was consistently good all year as a long reliever. Righty Andrew Wantz (3.22) and lefty José Quijada (3.98) also did some nice work. Overall, Angels relievers posted a 3.95 ERA, which ranked 18th. Their WHIP of 1.23 was 11th.
HOW IT LOOKS RIGHT NOW
The only significant addition is right-hander Carlos Estevez (free agent, from Colorado Rockies). Estevez is going to get the first shot at the closer role because the Angels feel he can improve when he’s out of the thin air of Coors Field. Last season Estevez had a strikeout rate of 29.3% on the road and 16.8% at home. As camp begins, Estevez, Loup, Herget, Tepera, Quijada, Wantz and Barria all seem to be fairly safe bets to be in the Opening Day bullpen….
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