LA Angels: Why the Halos are better without Jake Odorizzi

On paper, the Angels currently don’t have the most dominant starting rotation, but their bullpen is arguably one or two arms away from being among the best in the league. Since the Halos passed on Odorizzi, why not sign a reliever?

Roberto Osuna is the big name headlining the remaining arms on the market. The right-hander will throw a bullpen session on March 12 in the Dominican Republic.

Should the Angels take a chance on signing Roberto Osuna or another reliever?

Last summer, Osuna made just four appearances with an elbow injury. Tommy John Surgery was recommended, but Osuna opted to rehab without it.

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Since making his big-league debut in 2015, Osuna holds a 2.74 ERA and MLB’s third-best WHIP (0.905) and third-best strikeout-to-walk ratio (6.33). The off the field issues connected to Osuna are also well documented. Whether or not the Angels will consider this remains to be seen. Given the current investigation of pitching coach Mickey Callaway and his sexual harassment allegations, maybe the Halos will look in another direction.

Other reliever options include Jeremy Jeffress, who was just released by the Nationals today for ‘personnel reasons’. Right-hander Shane Greene is another candidate who should be considered.

The Angels released reliever Gerardo Reyes on Thursday following a UCL injury. Reyes is unsure how he wants to approach his recovery, so the Angels currently have one open spot on their 40-man roster.

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I believe the Angels were best to pass, but Odorizzi going to a division rival stings a bit. If he posts a solid season and the Halos rotation struggles, it’s a move that will look a lot worse than it does now. The same can be said about Oakland signing two reliever targets the Angels could have went after.

The division has gotten better, while the Angels have stayed content.