Latest pitcher injury pretty much settles the Angels' Opening Day bullpen competition

The Angels did not actively attempt to bolster their relief pitcher group this offseason, outside of one signing, instead relying on internal candidates to utilize in their bullpen. There was a Ken Rosenthal report in The Athletic that the Angels were looking to fill 2-3 bullpen spots, but Perry Minasian only brought in Kenley Jansen since then. Barring a miracle addition of David Robertson or an out of left field major league contract for Craig Kimbrel, the Angels are expected to roll with a young crop of arms they are developing as their Opening Day relievers.

The Angels' first round pick from the 2021 MLB Draft, Sam Bachman, had a clear path to make the major league roster out of camp, but his timetable to ramp up in spring training is murky right now. As Jeff Fletcher of The OC Register reported: "Right-hander Sam Bachman said he’s currently 'working through a little bit of stuff,' so he’s not sure when he’ll be able to pitch in Cactus League games. He said he’s 'not sure' if he’ll need to seek further medical opinions." Fletcher had previously reported that he had lost weight and was in a good spot physically coming off an "injury free-winter." The oft-injured Bachman is facing another setback.

Bachman was in desperate need of looking sharp during spring training games in order to force the Angels to make a tough decision as to who will round out their bullpen. Bachman, when healthy, has a pitch arsenal that would play well in a full-time relief pitcher role. Reliever Bachman relies mostly on his reverse gyro two-seam, hard slider, but will sprinkle in a changeup from time-to-time. However, his reliability is an obvious cause for concern and his chances of making the team now seem slim at best.

Latest pitcher injury all but finalizes the Angels' Opening Day bullpen

Here's how the Angels' bullpen will almost certainly look on Opening Day:

CL: Kenley Jansen
SU: Ben Joyce
MR: Brock Burke, Ryan Zeferjahn, José Quijada
Swing: Chase Silseth, Garrett McDaniels
Long: Jack Kochanowicz or Reid Detmers

Bachman was competing with Silseth and McDaniels for a swing role, where he could stretch out for multiple innings or fill in as a back-end arm if pressed upon. Given Silseth's availability and ceiling, plus how McDaniels has looked so far (plus the risk of losing the asset if he does not make the team), those two are looking close to locks for that role.

José Suarez looks better physically, but is he more effective or valuable to the Angels moving forward than Silseth, McDaniels, Detmers, or Kochanowicz? Assuredly not. Suarez would need to get DFA'd if/when he does not make the roster since he is out of minor league options, but he has cleared waivers and returned to the Angels before.

The other bullpen candidates are either long-shots, not as good/valuable as Silseth or McDaniels, or have options left: Hans Crouse (1 option left), Víctor Mederos, Michael Petersen, Jack Dashwood, Connor Brogdon, Dakota Hudson, Victor González, and Shaun Anderson.

Bachman has 17 big league innings under his belt as a reliever back in 2023. He primarily threw his bullet slider, averaged 96.9mph on his two-seam, and sprinkled in five changeups. His results were generally solid, posting a 3.18 ERA, 143 ERA+, and a 3.73 FIP while not surrendering a home run. His underlying metrics were not fantastic, as he also posted a 1.647 WHIP, 4.67 xERA, 4.70 xFIP, 9.0 H/9 (17 hits in 17 innings), and a 14:11 K:BB.

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