Angels News: Released outfielder returns; division rival makes splash in free agency

The Angels were expected to bring back a player or two from their recent non-tenders, and this player was the most obvious. Bryce Teodosio, an undrafted free agent pickup out of Clemson University in 2021, was brought back to the Angels on a minor league contract. Of the four non-tendered Angels players from a couple weeks ago -- Teodosio, Patrick Sandoval, Eric Wagaman, Jordyn Adams -- the Teodosio reunion was the most predictable given his small track record of major league experience and prospect cache.

Teodosio is a toolsy outfielder, and projects solely as a Brett Phillips-type: a left-handed hitting outfielder who is mostly utilized as either a defensive replacement or pinch runner. He has incredible wheels: his 29.8mph sprint speed ranked in the 98th percentile of MLB players last season. Everything else is below average, other than maybe his outfield range due to his speed, making Teodosio a minor league depth piece for the sake of depth until he develops his bat-to-ball skills.

Now that they're out of Oakland, the Athletics' organizational philosophy has shifted

Don't forget this fact: the Oakland A's had a better record than the Los Angeles Angels in 2024. They just got better too, as they inked Luis Severino to a franchise-record deal of three-years, $67M. The A's have never guaranteed a higher contract in their team's history, and will subsequently lose draft compensation since Severino was extended a qualifying offer by the Mets. He can also opt out after 2025. This is the Sacramento's version of the Yusei Kikuchi signing.

How much better does Severino make the A's? Severino is a flame-throwing starting pitcher, who does a great job living off of his fastball's velo and shape while avoiding hard contact. However, he is not necessarily coming off a career year. He made three starts in the playoffs for the Mets last season, and they were alright. He was able to eat a lot of innings during the regular season. He's not great but not awful. The past two seasons, one with the Mets and one with the Yankees, Severino has only accumulated a 1.6 fWAR. That's a lower mark than guys like Colin Rea, Matthew Boyd (who got far less potential money in free agency), Lance Lynn, Alex Cobb, Mike Clevinger, and Michael Lorenzen for example. By the way, Kikuchi's 6.0 fWAR in that same timespan was third most amongst this season's free agent starting pitcher class.

The entire American League West is trying to win the division next season. This may sound like a commonplace process, but rarely do you see five teams from the same division doing all that they can in modern baseball. The Angels and A's had no chance of making the playoffs last year, but are throwing money at their roster's issues this offseason to right that wrong. The A's, who will be playing in Sacramento for the next three seasons, were able to court Severino nonetheless. The A's spending big money in free agency could be a tide-turning shift in the division, as normally they are the biggest penny-pinchers in the league. Moving out of Oakland could mean a complete organizational makeover for the Angels' division rival.