Angels Are Still Interested In Francisco Cordero?

Francisco Cordero and Ryan Madson are the top two big ticket relievers/closers left on the free agent market and their suitors are starting to thin out. The Red Sox are in the market for both and are surely going to impulse buy one of them. I am a little surprised the Angels popped back up with interest in Cordero. Did the LaTroy Hawkins signing not satisfy Jerry Dipoto’s bullpen urges? That sentence was supposed to be in sarcasm font but I can’t find it on my new laptop.

The reason I’m surprised is two-fold. The Angels have already spent a small fortune this offseason and the 36-year-old Cordero is looking for a pricey, multi-year deal. Secondly, Dipoto did say he was just looking for a compliment and not a usurper for closer Jordan Walden. And the reports indicate Cordero only wants to close…

"4:45pm: The Reds and Red Sox aren’t the only clubs involved. The Angels and another team have been in dialogue with Cordero, according to Alex Speier of WEEI.com. “We’ve been exploring multiyear deals and we’re very confident that’s where we’re going to end up,” Stringfellow told Speier. “The teams that we’ve spoken to, none of them have balked at that of the four remaining clubs.” Cordero will only consider closing roles."

I’m on record passing on Cordero. His .214 BABIP (batting average on balls in play), 4.02 FIP (fielding independent pitching), 4.14 xFIP (expected fielding independent pitching) and 4.16 tERA (true runs allowed) all indicate Cordero’s 2.45 ERA in 2011 is as believable and sustainable as a Kim Kardashian marriage.

Nothing the Angels do for the rest of the offseason would shock me, you know, unless they trade Mike Trout. I don’t see them as real players on Cordero but Dipoto did basically give Walden the dreaded vote of confidence. If the price drops on Cordero and he changes his stance on only closing, sure, I’d be interested too.