Angels Ink Herrmann & Stewart to Minor League Deals

The Los Angeles Angels bolstered their pitching staff this week by signing veteran hurlers Frank Herrmann and Zach Stewart to minor league contracts. Herrmann will make the trip with the Angels to Tempe this February for spring training, Stewart will not.

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Frank Herrmann joins the Halos after spending the first three seasons of his big league career with the Cleveland Indians. The 30-year-old right-hander sports a career record of 4-1 and an ERA of 4.26 across 120.1 innings. He posted a 2.48 strikeout to walk ratio, a 4.14 FIP, and allowed 1.330 walks/hits per inning during his three seasons with the Indians. Herrmann’s best season came in 2011 when he went 4-0, with a 5.11 ERA over 56.1 innings pitched as he helped lead the Indians to an unexpected wild card birth. The Montclair, NJ native should provide a nice boost the Angels’ average IQ, as he spent his college days studying at Harvard.

Originally a third round selection by the Cincinnati Reds in 2008, Zach Stewart made his Major League debut in 2011 as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays. Stewart pitched for three different ball clubs in two seasons in the bigs, with his most recent action coming with the Boston Red Sox in 2012. The 28-year-old has had trouble sustaining success during his brief career, going 3-10 with a 6.82 ERA across 103 innings. Stewart spent 2014 with the Atlanta Braves triple-A affiliate in Gwinnett, IL. He made 14 starts for the Braves posting an ERA of 4.58. The Holliday, TX product does have experience as a starter and reliever during his career, but he will likely not be in the mix for either role with the Angels in 2015.

Feb 24, 2014; Goodyear, AZ, USA; Cleveland Indians player Frank Herrmann takes part in the annual photo day at Goodyear Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Lance Iversen-USA TODAY Sports

With the likes of Huston Street, Joe Smith, Mike Morin, Fernando Salas and Vinnie Pestano already in place, Herrmann will have his work cut out for him this spring. However, if he manages to impresses in Tempe, he could find himself heading north with the Halos to Seattle on April 6 for opening day. Stewart figures to serve as organizational depth for the Halos, but he could potentially be called up from Salt Lake City to make an occasional spot start in 2015.

General Manager Jerry Dipoto and his staff have been busy this winter creating valuable depth all over the roster. The Halos appear set with many capable right-handers battling for spots this spring, but they are still lacking left-handed options out in the ‘pen. Cesar Ramos is the only lefty currently penciled into the Angels’ bullpen, so I expect Dipoto and his staff to focus their attention on adding some southpaws in the coming weeks.

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