Joe Maddon wanted six-man rotation before pandemic, some candidates

Matt Andriese

Another starter who might have found himself in the opening rotation had the season started on time is Matt Andriese. Under the new circumstances, he becomes a good candidate as a sixth starter who can also provide help out of the bullpen. Last season for the Diamondbacks, he appeared exclusively as a reliever, pitching in 54 games, earning a 4.71 ERA in 70.2 innings of work.

The Angels acquired Andriese in the offseason with the intention of making him a starter, a role he played earlier in his career before switching to the bullpen in Arizona. The right-hander has made 49 career starts over his five-year career, going 14-15 with a 4.64 ERA and 3.21 K/BB ratio (compared to similar results as a reliever).

What is tantalizing about Andriese is his stuff. His spin rate on his fastball and curveball rank near the top of the league, according to Baseball Savant. Last season, he was in the 75th percentile for suppressing hard contact. If he can can consistently throw his fastball and curveball, along with a third offering, such as his change-up, he can become an effective starter for the Halos in 2020.

Andriese was selected in the third round of the 2011 draft by the Padres. He is a local Southern California kid who has pitched in parts of five seasons in the majors. While he hasn’t found a permanent spot on a big league roster, he presents a more experienced option than several of the other candidates to take on the sixth spot in the rotation role.