LA Angels: The case for bringing back Mike Mayers and Steve Cishek

Ask any LA Angels fan what they thought of the bullpen in 2021 and they’ll probably tell you that outside of Raisel Iglesias and some of the rookies, it was generally atrocious.

While that sentiment mostly rings true, it doesn’t tell the whole story.

In this case, it leaves out the fact that the Halos actually had two more reliable relievers who the team would be foolish not to bring back: Mike Mayers and Steve Cishek.

While not perfect, Mike Mayers and Steve Cishek proved that they deserve to be a part of the LA Angels in 2022.

Now don’t get me wrong, by no means am I saying either Mike Mayers or Steve Cishek are elite, high leverage guys who the LA Angels should trust in the eighth inning for example. Nor am I saying that this means the Angels don’t need to sign a couple of top-level relievers to further bolster the bullpen (they absolutely should).

What I am saying is that both Mayers and Cishek were quietly above average last year despite being drastically overused and placed into high-leverage situations they had no right being in.

If brought back and used properly with reduced workloads, both of them can undoubtedly be a major help to this team.