The Angels are reportedly still looking to add a starting pitcher this offseason. As of now, they have five for sure starters in Shohei Ohtani, Tyler Anderson, Patrick Sandoval, Reid Detmers and Jose Suarez. After that, there are some questions.
They could look to give that role to either Griffin Canning or Chase Silseth, but earlier in the offseason, Angels GM Perry Minasian said this to the LA Times about the Angels rotation.
“The biggest thing for us is we need to be in a position where we have a chance to win every day and that starts with a starter. And I know people like to slot starters. … For us, we’d like to throw six quality starters out there and no matter what the day is, feel like we have a chance to win that game and he does that.”
Silseth or Canning don’t comfortably put you in a position to win every game, which is why Jon Morosi’s report on the MLB Network makes a lot of sense.
“The Angels, I have heard from multiple different sources, are still interested in the starting pitching market. They’re still trying to add some rotation depth,” Morosi said. “I still expect the Angels to look for some more pitching help.”
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So who could the Angels be targeting?
One option they’ve been linked to is a starter/reliever in RHP Seth Lugo. He has experience pitching in both situations in his career, which could be exactly what the Angels are looking for. If he needs to make 10 starts a year, he can. But on the weeks they have days-off and Ohtani is ready to go on full rest, he can throw an inning or two out of the pen.
Another option is former All-Star RHP Nathan Eovaldi, who they’ve also been heavily linked to this offseason. Last year he had a 3.87 ERA and 1.24 WHIP in 20 starts, but in 2021, he was named an All-Star for the first and only time in his career. He’ll, however, be more expensive than Lugo.
Finally, they can look at another player with both reliever and starter capabilities in RHP Michael Fulmer. He’s moved to a full-time reliever role after struggling as a starter, but maybe the Angels can help him get his confidence back up for a few starts throughout the season.
The Angels have a lot of options, and it’s nice to know they are looking to add another arm ahead of next season.
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