Angels pitching shuffle once again proves they have no idea how to develop young arms

We always knew that the Opening Day version of the Los Angeles Angels bullpen would be different from the one that the team rides into the meat of the 2026 campaign. Injuries to Robert Stephenson and Kirby Yates, in addition to Ben Joyce's ongoing recovery from shoulder surgery, opened an inordinate number of spots within the unit.

What we didn't think would happen was that big changes would come after just a few short days. As most know by now, the Angels sent down Walbert Urena and DFA'd Victor Mederos to make way for veteran righty Shaun Anderson.

In the case of Urena, one can certainly argue that including him on the roster was a mistake. The 22-year-old's triple-digit heat was enticing, and it wasn't hard to envision it playing up in the bullpen, though admittedly it was a questionable decision on both the present and future value fronts. Having worked exclusively as a starter, it would behoove Los Angeles to only bump Urena to the pen once it became abundantly clear that he couldn't cut it in a rotation, and as he essentially made the jump from Double-A to the majors, we were nowhere near that point.

But as former Angels beat writer Sam Blum points out, the way things have been handled with Urena and Mederos is wild, and further cements the fact that the Halos have no idea how to develop young pitching.

Angels once again yo-yo young arms with no concern for their development with Walbert Urena and Victor Mederos decisions

We've seen this movie before. Los Angeles did this several times last year with Caden Dana and Sam Aldgheri, which, not coincidentally, was another example of their failure to build out a reliable bullpen, causing them to use starting pitching prospects as reliever depth.

The club also did this exact same thing with Mederos, who they likely won't lose as a result of their actions, but this time around have unnecessarily put him at risk. The 24-year-old was a Pacific Coast League All-Star last year, and while he struggled in his brief major league action in 2025, he still has potential.

The issue isn't the fact that they had a short leash on these youngsters; it's the fact that they were on the big league roster to begin with and then had the rug pulled out from them so quickly. It's compounded by the fact that the move was made in favor of a journeyman 31-year-old in Anderson who owns a career 6.33 ERA. If they wanted him on the roster so bad, they could have just carried him from the start.

Continuity and gradual progression are important for any prospect, and arguably even more important for pitchers who not only have to contend with developing their repertoires and refining their command, but also building up their arms. By rushing them, forcing them into unfamiliar roles, and then having a quick hook, the Angels are creating the exact opposite environment that young arms need. It's no wonder they've been a pitching wasteland for all these years. They're simply reaping what they've sown.