Angles News: Archie Bradley signing means reliever market heating up

The Angels missed an opportunity to add another reliever following the Archie Bradley signing, but the market is beginning to heat up.

A potential addition to the Angels bullpen went off the market today as Archie Bradley reportedly agreed to a one-year, $6 million deal with the Phillies.

While it isn’t a complete loss for Los Angeles, the signing of Bradley would have meant securing the backend of their bullpen. Last month, the Angels traded for another former Reds pitcher, Raisel Iglesias. Both Bradley and Iglesias would’ve made a solid 1-2 punch for the Angels at the end of ballgames.

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Most of Bradley’s success last season came after he was traded by Arizona to Cincinnati. The right-hander posted a 1.17 ERA and 0.522 WHIP in six appearances for the Reds.

Bradley was non-tendered by the Reds and would have seen a slight pay raise from the $4.1 million (non-prorated) he made last season. It was pretty confusing at the time why Cincinnati wouldn’t pay him ~$5 million in arbitration or trade him for something in return.

It turns out, no team took the bait and was willing to wait out this Three-Toed Sloth’s paced offseason. Now the Phillies are rewarded with a player they would have paid around the same amount of money for, and they didn’t have to trade away any assets.

So now what do the Angels do?

The Angels bullpen has a solid foundation but is still another arm or two away from being one of the league’s best. A few veteran relievers who come to mind are Jeremy Jeffress, Brandon Workman, and Yusmeiro Petit.

The good news is this signing likely means the offseason reliever-market is beginning to heat up.

The deal for Bradley comes nearly three days after Liam Hendriks signed a record-breaking three-year, $54 million contract with the White Sox. Statistically, Hendriks was by far the best reliever on the market.

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Now that the market price is set for relievers, other teams can negotiate with players and their available agents accordingly. Alright Perry Minasian, your move.