3 LA Angels players who are no longer worth defending

It's getting really hard to defend Angels reliever Ian Anderson

When Ian Anderson landed with the Halos shortly before the end of spring training, there was a sense of optimism that he'd be better than the player he was replacing. Acquired from the Atlanta Braves in a swap for José Suarez, the first thing that Anderson had going for him was that he was not, in fact, Suarez.

Suarez had tormented Angels fans for years with poor performance on the mound, so getting anything for him was considered a massive win. It didn't hurt that Anderson, 26, was once regarded as a top prospect as well.

However, the days since the prospect shine glimmered off of Anderson are long gone. After a dominant debut in 2020 that only lasted six starts, Anderson followed up with an encouraging performance in 2021 when he made 24 starts and through 128.1 innings, posting a 3.58 ERA and 4.12 FIP.

His upward trajectory was halted in 2022, however, as he came back down to earth, recording a 5.00 ERA over 22 starts and 111.2 innings pitched. A lack of command plagued him as his walks per nine crept up to 4.35.

Tommy John surgery would cost him the entire 2023 season, and 2022 would be the last year Anderson pitched in the big leagues until now.

Re-inventing himself as a reliever, things have not gone as planned for Anderson with the Halos. His first appearance of the year was a scoreless inning of work on April 1st against the St. Louis Cardinals when he recorded two strikeouts.

However, since then, Anderson has allowed runs like a sieve. Often brought in as the first man out of the pen with the Angels trailing, but the game still in reach, Anderson has struggled with his command both in and out of the strike zone.

Through his first five appearances, he's walked 3.86 batters per 9 innings, allowing 2.57 homers per 9 as well, en route to a 10.29 ERA. Most often, he's been responsible for taking a close game where the Angels might be able to mount a potential comeback and turning it into a blowout.

If the Angels wanted this kind of performance, they could've kept Jose Suarez around. With Ben Joyce on the IL, Anderson, who is out of options, will get a few more opportunities, but once Joyce returns, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Anderson as the odd man out, especially if former undrafted free agent Michael Darrell-Hicks establishes himself during Joyce's absence.

Patience has got to be wearing thin with Ian Anderson, and unless he makes an immediate turn around it will be hard to defend keeping him on the roster.