Let the battle begin for the Los Angeles Angels rotation.

Hector Santiago:

The 5th spot in any rotation is normally, always up for grabs at the start of spring training. However, this season, I think that it is Santiago’s to lose. During his time with the Angels, Santiago has been as masterful as he has been disappointing.

His biggest downfall has been he hasn’t been able to put a complete season together. He started 2014 off slowly and was sent down to the minors to work on his mechanics. Once he returned he pitched very well and he carried that momentum into the 2015 season. He started off very strong and was the Angels best pitcher. He even earned himself a spot on the all-star team.

After the break though, he wasn’t consistently bad… but he wasn’t consistently good either. Rumors swirled this offseason that the Angels were trying to shop around Santiago while his value was still high, to help fill some of their other holes. However, no deal for him could be done.

Hopefully, Santiago will find a way to put a full season together in 2016.

Next: Fear the Beard?