LA Angels: Halos revamped their bullpen with these 3 relievers

In a span of just a few hours on Monday, general manager Perry Minasian revamped the Angels bullpen by adding three relievers.

Right-hander James Hoyt was acquired via trade from the Marlins in exchange for cash considerations.

The Halos also agreed to terms with veterans Steve Cishek and Tony Watson. Both pitchers agreed to one-year, $1 million deals, as reported by Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic.

The new additions come just one day after Minasian brought back Noe Ramirez, following his release by the Reds.

2020 Statistics:

• Hoyt: (24 games) 14.2 IP 9 H 2 ER 8 BB 20 SO (1.23 ERA, 1.159 WHIP)
• Cishek (20 games): 20 IP 21 H 12 ER 9 BB 21 SO (5.40 ERA, 1.500 WHIP)
• Watson (21 games): 18 IP 13 H 5 ER 3 BB 15 SO (2.50 ERA, 0.889 WHIP)

Cishek, 34, struggled last summer with the White Sox, but he posted a sub-3 ERA in each of the previous four seasons. The right-hander also fits the theme of players with previous experience under manager Joe Maddon. Cishek played with Maddon’s Cubs from 2018-2019.

Watson, 35, has been one of the most consistent relievers in baseball since he made his debut in 2011. He’s a left-handed specialist with a career 2.80 ERA and 1.090 WHIP. The Phillies cut Watson after a poor spring training (7.20 ERA, 3.600 WHIP), but he’s still proven to be as reliable as they come. He’s been a league-leader in limiting soft contact and has only posted an ERA above 3.50 in two of his ten big-league seasons (2011 and 2019).

Hoyt, 34, is a bit of a late bloomer. He made his MLB debut in 2016 and posted solid numbers in a small sample size. The Angels mark the fifth organization for Hoyt, who has a career 3.71 ERA and 1.236 WHIP over 94.2 innings in five seasons.

These three arms should provide the veteran experience the Halos bullpen was lacking.

The Angels also announced No.4 prospect Chris Rodriguez will make the Opening Day roster and will be used as a reliever. Jeff Fletcher of The OC Register believes there will be one final bullpen spot decided in the next 24-48 hours.

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Add these three additions to the list of cost-effective moves for the Angels in 2021. There’s virtually no risk in any of these arms, but the reward for productivity is high.