LA Angels: 6 low-risk, high-reward starting pitchers that need to be Halos

Trade Options

Jon Gray, Rockies

The Rockies selected Jon Gray with the 3rd overall pick in the 2013 MLB draft with the hopes of him being the anchor to the Rockies rotation for years to come. Like so many other pitchers who’ve come and gone through Colorado over the years, “Coors-Canaveral” has proven to be too much for Gray to handle.  With a very evident electric arm still in his arsenal, a change of scenery could be exactly what Gray needs to turn his career around. With only one year left until free agency, Gray should come at an extremely affordable price.

Blake Snell, Rays

The 2018 Cy Young award winner has been rumored to be available from the economically conscious Rays front office. With 3 young stud outfielders on the verge of breaking out of the Angels minor league system (or having just broken out in the case of Adell), the Angels can afford to take a gamble on Snell’s affordable contract by shipping off either Brandon Marsh, Jo Adell, or Jordyn Adams to TB. After singing a team-friendly 5 yr, $50M contract in 2019, Snell has 3 yrs and $40.8M left on his contract – a very reasonable number considering the kind of money that is expected to be thrown at very comparable Trevor Bauer this off-season. Snell has the innings, success, and post-season experience that the Angels need.

Sonny Gray, Reds

Sonny Gray in Cincinnati has looked like the Sonny Gray of Oakland, after an abysmal stint with the Yankees in 2017 & 2018. Perhaps the Reds showing faith in him to the tune of a 3 yr, $32M deal motivated him to be the pitcher that finished 7th in Cy Young voting in 2019. With 2 yrs and just over $20M left on his contract, the Reds could potentially be looking to off load his contract just as they did with their closer, Raisel Iglesias. Considering the extremely modest package that it took to land Iglesias, the Angels could look to plug Gray into the top of their rotation for a low-risk package.

Free Agents

Corey Kluber

Only 2 years ago, the “Klubot” was a consensus top 10, and most times top 5, starting pitcher in the league. Pitching to the tune of a 2.89 ERA in 215 IP in 2018, there was no better pitcher to have at your disposal for a big game. 2 years later, Kluber seems to of been all but forgotten in the long list of available starting pitchers. Coming off of major shoulder surgery, Kluber is expected to sign somewhere in the range of 1 year at $12M, a very reasonable and worthwhile risk for the Angels to take. Kluber would provide veteran experience for a young staff, and a high ceiling if he can reach anywhere near his 2014-2018 form, in which he threw 235.2, 222, 215, 203.2, and 215 innings respectively.

James Paxton

Angels fans know “The Big Maple” well after spending his 2013-2018 campaigns with the Mariners. After being shipped off to the Yankees, Paxton battled the injury bug in 2020 before being shut down for the remainder of the season with a 6.64 ERA in 20.1 innings pitched to his name. Expected to sign in the neighborhood of 2 yrs, $30M, Paxton could slide nicely into the heart of the Angels pitching rotation while facing lineups he knows very well from his time in the AL West.

Garrett Richards

Selected 42nd overall by the Angels in the 2009 MLB draft, Richards grew up in the minor leagues with Mike Trout, and he and Trout are good friends to this day. A career ERA of 3.62 over 804.2 innings is indicative of the kind of stuff that Richards has, and his last 6 outings in 2020 – 16.1 IP, 5 ERs & 17Ks over 2 starts and 4 relief appearances – could suggest that his elbow is almost fully recovered from Tommy John surgery. Bringing Richards back to a ballpark where he is comfortable, has established friendships throughout the team and organization, and betting on him being able to be a quality middle of the rotation arm is too good of a situation not to bet on.

A Life Without Bauer

Let me preface by saying that signing Trevor Bauer would not be a bad move for the Angels. In fact, it could be a season changing move that is just what the doctor ordered to get the best player of our generation into the playoffs. However, in the theme of low-risk, high-reward options, Bauer represents a much more high-risk, low-reward option should he resemble the pitcher we have seen for much of his career, rather than the stud we saw in 2018 and 2020.

Much has been made of the Angels need and ability to sign Trevor Bauer this offseason, and with the Angels in such desperate need of an ace, it is evident why. Bauer is expected to sign for somewhere in the realm of 3 yrs, $30M per year – a small commitment considering the 7 yr, $245M contract given to Anthony Rendon last offseason, and the 10 yr, $240M contract given to Albert Pujols in 2012. However, Bauer has an ERA south of 4.19 just twice in his career, most recently being the pandemic-shortened 2020 season in which he threw 73 innings over 11 starts, about a third of a standard season’s workload.

Bauer is only 1 year removed from his 4.48 ERA campaign over 213 innings with the Reds and Indians, and has shown tendencies of being a hot-head who is toxic for a clubhouse. Should the Angels gauge their focus on lower-risk options, they could steer themselves clear of a potential bad 3 year investment.