Angels get serious about fixing league-worst bullpen with latest veteran additions

Despite the season being just a little more than a month old, the Los Angeles Angels have used an incredible number of relief pitchers. A whopping 18 relievers have made at least one appearance for the Halos this season, if you count utility man Nicky Lopez's opening day appearance on the mound. The results have not been good so far with the Halos ranking second to last in bullpen ERA at a 6.99 mark, and at or near the bottom in every major statistical category. More often than not, Angels relievers have been more arsonists than firemen.

Perry Minasian decided to roll with a mostly unproven bullpen to start the season. Aside from future Hall of Famer Kenley Jansen, the Opening Day bullpen featured a lot of inexperience. Rookies Ryan Johnson and Garrett McDaniels were tasked with making incredible leaps; McDaniels jumping from High-A to the majors and Johnson never throwing a single minor league pitch before making his big league debut. At the back end, Ben Joyce entered the year with just 44.2 big league innings under his belt was tasked with handling the eighth inning, while Ryan Zeferjahn was also looked to to handle high leverage duty after throwing just 17 innings in 2024, his debut season.

Even the more "experienced" bullpen arms lacked established track records, with the likes of Reid Detmers and the now-departed Ian Anderson pitching out of the pen for the first time in their young careers, with Anderson not having pitched in the majors since 2022. The only other reliever with any consistent experience pitching out of the pen on opening day was lefty Brock Burke, whose career has been full of ups and downs.

With Ben Joyce going down in early April and not returning any time soon, the club has gone through bullpen shuffle after bullpen shuffle, trying to find a winning combination and failing spectacularly in the process. That all may change, however, with the latest duo called up as the Angels try a different approach.

The Angels' latest reliever shuffle is different, and it might just help stabilize the bullpen

The reliever carousel has seen unheralded prospects like Jose Fermin, career minor leaguers like Jake Eder, and other dart throws get opportunities. Former undrafted free agent Michael Darrell-Hicks has gotten called up three times, and a past his prime veteran like Carl Edwards Jr. graced the mound and was gone in the blink of an eye.

All of the previous moves were dart throws with a low probability of working out. That's why the latest pair of arms to join the Angels' pen has a different feel to it. When the Angels selected the contracts of Connor Brogdon and Hector Neris a few days ago, they made a statement. This time, things will be different.

When the Angels signed Connor Brogdon to a minor league deal in the offseason, there was some thought that the 30-year-old righty could crack the bullpen out of spring training. While that didn't happen, the logic for why was sound.

Unlike the other depth relievers the Angels have used, Brogdon has a track record of some success at the major league level. In four-plus years with the Philadelphia Phillies, Brogdon logged 144 innings and posted a 3.88 ERA. His best year, 2022, saw him make 47 appearances and toss 44 innings, while recording a 3.27 ERA and posting 10.23 K/9.

Doubling down on the theme of experience, Hector Neris brings a wealth of it over his 12-year career. The soon-to-be 36-year-old righty owns a career ERA of 3.38 to go along with 107 saves as he's served as a part-time closer in the past. Neris has strikeout stuff, averaging 11.11 K/9 in his career, and experience filling multiple roles. He may have been cast off from the Atlanta Braves early in the season, but there's enough reason to believe that he's got enough talent left in his arm to still make a difference.

What is clear is that the club has realized the error of its ways. By adding two experienced veterans with some success on their resumes, the Halos are showing they're finally serious about putting together a competent bullpen in the wake of Ben Joyce's absence. No more hopes and dreams, instead, they are focused on something they should have done long ago, relying on relievers who can actually get outs.

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