3 Angels pitchers whose roster spots could be in jeopardy after Zach Plesac signing

After weeks without a MLB signing, the Los Angeles Angels have signed Zach Plesac to what we can only assume will be a cheap one-year deal. Plesac burst onto the scene in 2019 with the Guardians and looked like a future building block for them in 2020, but has tailed off in a big way since then.

Plesac earned the chance to pitch in Cleveland's rotation to begin this season, but after five starts and a 7.59 ERA he was sent down to the minors and eventually DFA'd entirely by the Guardians. Plesac figures to be a depth addition, but he'll certainly have a chance to make the club's Opening Day roster either in the rotation or out of the bullpen.

The 28-year-old will likely face an uphill battle to crack the team's 26-man roster which will head to Baltimore for the season opener, but it's not impossible assuming he pitches well in Spring Training, at least with how their roster looks right now. Plesac joining the fold with a MLB deal in hand should have these three pitchers at least thinking about the possibility of him taking their spots.

1) Jose Suarez

Jose Suarez's roster spot is one that is likely in jeopardy whether Plesac makes the team or not, but Plesac's signing only adds another player for competiion. He went from the team's solidified fifth starter last season to a player whose Angels future is very much in jeopardy.

Suarez struggled mightily out of the rotation last season before landing on the IL for much of the season. He'd return late with the Angels already out of contention and pitch better in relief, but that's not saying much. He has a chance to earn a rotation spot if the roster stays the same, but probably faces an uphill battle for that and is more likely to make the team out of relief.

The advantage Suarez would have over Plesac and others is that he is currently out of options. The Angels kept him around past the non-tender deadline knowing this, so as long as he's here and gets through Spring Training healthy, he's got a good shot to make the team. However, if Plesac (or someone else) outpitches him, it's certainly possible that the Halos would be fine waiving him.

2) Jimmy Herget

If the season started tomorrow, Herget would have a great chance to make the team out of the bullpen. He was excellent in 2022 but took a major step back this past season. In a perfect world he'd be nothing more than depth, but the Angels would have to make more high-profile moves for that to be the case.

What makes Herget's spot in jeopardy is the fact that he's a pitcher with options. The Angels can send him down and not risk losing him, which is something they cannot say for Suarez.

If Plesac outpitches him in the spring, or the Angels determine that they're going to want more than one long reliever (or potentially six starters) Plesac could easily get the nod over Herget.

This is probably less likely than Suarez just because Plesac profiles as more of a starting pitcher, but the Angels did hold multiple long relievers for a while last season with Jaime Barria and Tucker Davidson. It's not out of the realm of possibility that the Halos have a full rotation and also keep Suarez and Plesac around out of the bullpen.