Five Pitchers the LA Angels Should Sign this Winter

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MINNEAPOLIS, MN – JUNE 09: Tyler Skaggs #45 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim delivers a pitch against the Minnesota Twins during the first inning of the game on June 9, 2018 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /

The LA Angels and their pitching was not their only problem last year. However, given the players in Anaheim, Billy Eppler is likely to spend most of his time looking at free agent arms, and these five names are guys the Angels could, and should, sign.

First off, the LA Angels rotation is solid, but given the injuries in past years, they know better than anyone you can never have too many starting pitchers. Tyler Skaggs and Andrew Heaney are likely locked into roles, but after that there are no guarantees. Matt Shoemaker, Jaime Barria, Felix Pena, and Nick Tropeano are all pitchers who will be competing for rotation spots come Spring Training, but the Angels could be looking at both star pitchers and veteran/depth pieces this year.

The bullpen is a free-for-all, with names like Blake Parker and Jose Alvarez being the most (and maybe only) trusted relievers. The Angels will definitely be looking for bullpen help in free agency. However, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports that any bullpen help will likely be cheap deals rather than chasing after the big names of Andrew Miller and Craig Kimbrel.

For this list we’ll give one left-handed starter, a right-handed starter, a reliever for each side, and a do-it-all type of pitcher. So now, without further ado…

WASHINGTON, DC – JULY 16: Mike Trout #27 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and the American League speaks to Patrick Corbin #46 of the Arizona Diamondbacks and the National League during Gatorade All-Star Workout Day at Nationals Park on July 16, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /

Patrick Corbin, LHP

Ah, how I wish this was being written about Clayton Kershaw but alas, Patrick Corbin will do. The Arizona Diamondbacks had one of the best pitching duos in the National League this season with Corbin and Zack Greinke, and now both are available (Greinke via trade, per reports).

Corbin is arguably the best arm available this offseason, and would turn the Angels into a legit top-five rotation into the American League when healthy. While many point to his 3.15 ERA in 2018 as an outlier, Corbin has improved each of the last two seasons, lowering his ERA two full runs over that period of time.

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At 29-years old, he could be entering the prime of his career, and the Angels could be the beneficiaries of it. That is, if they’re willing to pay enough for his services. Corbin has many other suitors, most notably the New York Yankees, who seem to have Corbin atop their free agency pitching wish list.

Projected contract: Five years, $110 million with opt-out after third season.

For this price, the LA Angels would be extremely smart to go all-in on Corbin. He has flashed legit ace stuff in an offense-heavy NL West and seems to be improving as he gets older.

NEW YORK, NY – JULY 16: National League All-Star Matt Harvey #33 of the New York Mets pitches to American League All-Star Mike Trout #27 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim during the 84th MLB All-Star Game on July 16, 2013 at Citi Field in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /

Matt Harvey, RHP

I know, the name sends an immediate shiver down one’s spine. Matt Harvey has been one of the most disappointing players in recent memory, and around a year ago, it would not have been surprising to see Harvey out of the league at this point.

But maybe, juuuust maybe, he could help the Angels.

Harvey is not meant for the big city. Even when he played for the second team in New York, he was not able to handle to pressure and the lifestyle involved with living in New York. While he was an utter mess in the Big Apple, he did improve after being traded to the Cincinnati Reds. Now, the Angels might want to take a look at Harvey.

First off, he may seem like he’s been around forever, but Harvey is still only 29-years old. That isn’t young, but it’s still young enough to be able to turn around his career. His strikeout-to-walk ratio was nearly 4:1 last year, and he did not give up the long ball at too high of a pace. The only real concern was the amount of hits he gave up, which was over one-per-inning.

Projected contract: One-year, $8 million, mutual option

Matt Harvey should not be a main target for the Angels, but if they fail to bring in any other impact starters, having a veteran/depth arm could be the kind of move they need to make, and Harvey fits that role perfectly.

LOS ANGELES, CA – OCTOBER 26: Nathan Eovaldi #17 of the Boston Red Sox delivers the pitch during the fifteenth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game Three of the 2018 World Series at Dodger Stadium on October 26, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

Nathan Eovaldi, RHP

Nathan Eovaldi is the do-it-all guy I mentioned at the beginning of this. Anyone who watched the World Series knows the Red Sox hero. At the beginning of the series, Eovaldi was slated to start Game 4. Instead, he pitched a scoreless inning in Game 1, another in Game 2, and then six relief innings so amazing in Game 3 that fellow Red Sox pitcher (and Game 3 starter) Rick Porcello was driven to tears by the performance.

World Series aside, Eovaldi owned a 3.81 ERA in 22 games. He has everything you want from a pitcher, good strikeout rates, low walk numbers, and has been relatively consistent throughout his career. We’ve seen what he can do as part of a rotation, and his relief work might be even better.

While this postseason was a small sample size, Eovaldi was easily the most trusted pitcher in the World Series for either team. His Game 3 loss was not on him, as the Red Sox offense couldn’t muster a run for six innings. Eovaldi is a wild card this offseason, and could be a huge boom-or-bust free agent.

Projected contract: Four years, $60 million

Eovaldi pushed his value up astronomically in the playoffs (take notes, Machado) and it would not surprise many to see him earn much more than this contract on the free agent market. However, Eovaldi has been open about his desire to return to the Red Sox, and is likely to give a hometown discount for the World Series champs. However, if the Red Sox lowball him, the LA Angels and Billy Eppler should swoop in for the Swiss Army Knife.

ARLINGTON, TX – JULY 08: Jesse Chavez #40 of the Los Angeles Angels pitches against the Texas Rangers in the bottom of the first inning at Globe Life Park in Arlington on July 8, 2017 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /

Jesse Chavez, RHP

Yes, that Jesse Chavez. After spending his year in Anaheim as a starting pitcher, Chavez has returned to the bullpen as he enters the second half of his 30’s, and it has paid off. Chavez did not start a single game last year, and had one of the lowest ERA’s in the NL after he was traded to the Cubs at the deadline.

Overall, Chavez was exceptional in 2018. It was arguably his best season to date, as his 2.55 ERA and career-high 5.41 strikeout-to-walk ratio were highlights for the San Gabriel native. He capped off his 2018 season by throwing one inning in the NL Wild Card Game against the Rockies. He allowed one hit, but still only faced the minimum three batters.

Projected contract: Two years, $7 million

While I’d love to tell you about the Angels signing Craig Kimbrel or Cody Allen, Billy Eppler made it clear the Angels will not be giving away big contracts for relievers this offseason. Jesse Chavez fits the bill of an undervalued free agent who can greatly help the Angels’ bullpen in 2019. While the rest of the MLB focuses on signing the big names in a legendary free agent class for relievers, the Angels can make a huge steal by swooping in early to sign Chavez.

PITTSBURGH, PA – JUNE 05: Hector Santiago #53 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim delivers a pitch during the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on June 5, 2016 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) /

Hector Santiago, LHP

We’re bringing back the entire former-Angels-who-have-gone-on-to-be-better-after-leaving-Anaheim club! Well, not the entire club but Chavez and now Hector Santiago could be very valuable pieces for the Angels over the next couple of years.

Unlike Chavez, Santiago has not turned into a full-time relief pitcher quite yet, but the numbers suggest he should be. At the most basic level, his ERA as a starter versus as a reliever is 6.12 and 3.75, respectively. Santiago is much better out of the pen, and as he gets older, could prolong his career by making the switch to serving strictly as a relief pitcher.

An offseason of focusing purely on a few good pitches and strikeouts rather than stamina and velocity could do wonders for Santiago, especially with the Angels’ new pitching coach Doug White, who was formerly with the Houston Astros.

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Projected contract: Two years: $13 million with third year mutual option.

Hector Santiago was a fan-favorite, and has always pitched well at The Big A. While it would be nice for him to be able to be a consistent starter for the Angels in 2019, that is too much to ask of Santiago at this point of his career. Instead, he should focus his offseason on learning how to pitch out of the bullpen. While he is busy learning the finer points of relief pitching, Billy Eppler should be calling Santiago’s agent.

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